


Worlds Apart

by Mendeia



Series: The Death-Knell of Silence [1]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure, Brotherhood, Don-centric, Family, Gen, Post-Canon, Usagi Yojimbo universe as portrayed in TMNT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-09-22 15:05:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 56,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9613112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mendeia/pseuds/Mendeia
Summary: The Death-Knell of Silence Part 1: After the events of "Turtles Forever," the guys are just starting to get back to their normal lives when an unexpected visit from their friend Usagi draws them into an adventure in a parallel dimension. The turtles will be put to the test not just to help their friend, but to fit into Japan's Edo period society without disaster.





	1. Safe

**Author's Note:**

> Please read my notes at the end of the first chapter. There's a lot to cover.
> 
> Enjoy!

"I am _so bored_! I hate not having my games or comic books or anything. Being homeless _stinks_!"

Raph groaned for what felt like the tenth time. "Quit your whining, Mikey! Or I'll _give_ you somethin' to whine about!"

Michelangelo gave a high-pitched squawk and darted across the room to hide behind April at the sink. "Save me! Save me!"

April looked up from the stack of dishes, her eyes falling across her crowded living room. Then she peered at Michelangelo. "Mikey, I think this is one fight you're going to have to handle on your own."

"April, not you too! Doesn't _anybody_ in this family love me anymore?" He turned pleading eyes on the rest of the room.

At the table, Donatello looked up from his work with a huff of laughter. "Mikey, everybody loves you. But you have to admit, after the last couple of days, we've exceeded our usual tolerance for...certain things."

Casey nodded from where he was slouched on the couch beside Raph. "Yeah! I only met those goofballs for a few minutes and I got my fill. You can't blame us for wanting a little payback."

"Oh, leave him alone," Leo said. He was leaning against the windows at the front of the apartment, keeping an eye on the street from behind the curtains. "It's not his fault we discovered a whole set of dimensional doubles that could give him a run for the title of Most Annoying Turtle."

"Yeah!" Mikey cheered. Then, "Hey!"

"I believe what your brothers are trying to say, my son," Splinter tipped his head to Michelangelo, "is that in light of our recent encounters with your alternate selves, they would be gratified if you would behave less like you belong to their odd dimension."

"But Sensei, how come nobody's bothering Raph for being just like those Turtles Prime guys?" Mikey asked.

Splinter smiled serenely. "Because, my son, _they_ were _quiet_."

Mikey sighed all the way to the middle of the room where he flopped unceremoniously onto the floor. "Fine. I'll be quieter if we can go soon. Please?"

Leo twitched a half smile. "We will, Mikey. I just want to make sure what's left of the Foot aren't going to follow us. It won't do us any good to find a new home and lead them right to it on the first day."

"I've already identified several good possibilities," Donatello said. "We just have to pick the best one. Then comes the fun part of retrieving everything we can from the old lair."

"It would be a lot easier on our shells if you could invent a shrink ray or something, Donnie," Raph looked over. "There's a lot of gear to haul, and I ain't looking forward to dragging it halfway across the sewers."

Don shrugged. "Would you believe it's easier to create a dimensional doorway from a flashlight than build a shrink ray? Because it is. But that's what we've got your muscles for, Raph."

"Yeah." Mikey waved and spun on his shell listlessly. "What's the point of having Don's brain if we don't have your dumb brawn to make up for it?"

"I'll show _you_ some dumb brawn!"

But before he could surge off the couch and attack Michelangelo, Leo stepped between them. "All right. Let's go before we tear April's place apart. Again."

"Thank you, Leo!" April called with a relieved sigh.

"Want me to keep an eye out while you're gone? Or go play decoy or something?" Casey offered. He didn't even flinch anymore that the turtles still called the apartment over the 2nd Time Around shop 'April's place' even though he now lived with his wife; as often as not, Casey called it her place rather than theirs, too; some habits were too ingrained to break after so many years.

Leo shook his head. "I don't think it's necessary. I haven't seen anything like their previous surveillance, and there's nothing to show they're watching this place today. Besides, they're less likely to mess with us in daylight anyway. I don't think going a few hours earlier will make any difference. Except maybe to Michelangelo's patience."

Mikey jumped to his feet, though Raph managed to bop him on the head along the way, and Donatello packed away the equipment he had been working on into his temporary duffle bag.

"Good hunting, my sons," Splinter said. "Choose our new home wisely, for it is my hope to spend several years in one place."

The four turtles bowed to their father before heading out the door in a group – Raph and Mikey still trading insults and blows, Leo gamely trying to rein them in, and Don just snickering while he consulted his map. But their feet were silent upon the stairs (even if Mikey's yelling could shake the panes of glass in the windows) until the brothers reached the sewer tunnel in April's basement.

"Will they be okay?" April asked, drying her hands on a towel.

Casey shrugged. "Sure! Why wouldn't they be?"

"Is something the matter, Miss O'Neil?" Splinter asked.

April shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Just...nothing is ever easy with them, is it?"

"No, it is not." Splinter folded his hands and closed his eyes. "But I place my faith in them. Together, there is nothing they cannot achieve, no matter its difficulty."

-==OOO==-

"So, Donnie. What kind of place are we looking for, anyway?" Raph asked when Michelangelo finally retreated to walk with Leo rather than beside the brother who kept finding reasons to smack him. "Someplace easy to get to the surface from, right?"

"Someplace with enough room for a good dojo," Leo put in from behind.

"And someplace that isn't so _wet_." Three faces turned to Mikey and he shrugged. "Look, the reservoir station had a lot going for it, but you gotta admit that when the city did the annual sewer flush it smelled _rank_. And how many times did someone fall into the water while trying to get a midnight snack?"

"That was just you, Mike," Don said.

"Well, yeah. But I also don't ever want to have to fish slime out of the lair during mold season again either, okay?"

"He's got a point," Leo nodded. "Okay. No more water lairs. What else?"

"It needs to be within a reasonable distance of April's place," Don said, "and it needs to have a defined perimeter we can defend and monitor."

"What about city water lines and power hookups and stuff?" Raph asked.

"Nah." Don shook his head. "I can build extensions to that stuff on my own wherever we set up. I'd build the lair itself too except that I can't exactly just demolish a few tunnels down here and hope nobody notices."

"Well, let's start in on the list of possible locations and see which one we like," Leo said. Don handed over the map he had marked. "We'll begin closest to April's and work our way out."

Mikey and Raph peered over Leo's shoulder to the map. They exchanged a glance and took off running at the same time. "Last one there has to clean the bathroom first!" Mikey called.

Don and Leo looked at one another. A smile crept up Leo's face. "They're going the long way, aren't they?"

Don grinned. "Yep."

"Well." Leo's smile widened. "Let's not keep them waiting!"

And they headed off down a side tunnel that would cut their travel time in half.

The outing degenerated predictably from that point. Mikey and Raph were annoyed when they were beaten to the location by Leo and Don, Raph particularly because Mikey tripped him up at the very last instant which meant he was stuck with bathroom duty. This led to a four-way wrestling match on the threshold of the site they were meant to be exploring, and at least one dented water main along the way, before they sorted themselves out and got back to the purpose of their exploration – choosing their new home.

The first candidate for their new lair was determined unsuitable because it failed the water test (unlike the serene pool of water that had been the center of their second lair, this one had a noisy waterfall running through the middle) and the structural integrity test (when Leo put a foot through what would have been the wall of the dojo).

The second site they visited was currently serving as a crash spot for at least two dozen homeless people, and the turtles had to use their best stealth practices to get away without being seen.

The third seemed perfect until Don spotted the toxic mold growing along one wall that meant the whole place was contaminated.

The fourth had an interior structure that made absolutely no sense, the entire space broken up into awkward little rooms with bearing-walls that couldn't be torn down. After Raph got lost twice trying to figure out how to get from the area they would retrofit as a kitchen to the main living room, he refused to consider it – and by that time, his brothers agreed.

The fifth wasn't on Donatello's map. They found it by accident, or, more accurately, when the floor gave way under Mikey and he slid into what had clearly been one of the earliest subway stations long since forgotten and bricked up. It did take the brothers a few minutes to figure out how to get out of the place once they got down into it, but after that they universally agreed this was the ideal spot. It had a huge open area with a second floor that looked over it from which four soon-to-be bedrooms branched. There was a full subway car that even had colored glass in the windows that was old enough to be a museum piece they could make into a quieter, comfy space where Master Splinter could retreat. The dojo wouldn't be as big as it had been in the previous two lairs, but that was made up for by the sheer size of the main area.

Of course, the space hadn't been in use in decades and was more cobwebs than clear air, and the wiring, as Donatello groaned, wouldn't have been out of place in the 1930's, and it was pretty far from their previous lair which meant moving would be a painful process – but all in all, it was an excellent find.

Raph and Mikey dove straight into the work of identifying which random items already in their new space were junk and which they would keep, setting aside anything remotely mechanical or even just metal for Donatello. While they argued about a broken lamp whose shade had ratty green tassels (but Mikey wanted to put it on Splinter's head for some reason), Leo sidled up beside Don who was studying the main fuse box.

"Is it going to be okay?"

Don frowned but didn't look away from the circuit breakers. "Yeah. It'll need more work than the last one, though. And that took me months to get up and running even after I got well from the Outbreak virus."

Leo put a hand on his shoulder. "You know we'll help you out as much as we can."

"Yeah, but I almost wish you wouldn't. Any time I put tools in Mikey's hands, they wind up flying through the air. And Raph is definitely not allowed anywhere near this stuff until I get it grounded or he'll electrocute himself." Don sighed. "Honestly, it would take half the time if I didn't have help and didn't have any distractions."

Now Leo frowned. "Are we really in your way that much?"

Don looked up, surprised. "No, that's not what I mean. It's just...I can only do so much in a day, Leo. And practicing and chores and patrolling and having to explain everything fifty times, well, everything cuts into my time. That's all." He managed a wry smile. "It wouldn't be the same without at least one of you coming over at the worst possible moment to ask what I'm up to. Someday I really am going to fry our whole perimeter surveillance setup when someone sneaks up on me."

Leo smiled too. "All right, Donnie. Well, I'll try to leave you alone more until you get things up to speed if it helps. And I'll try to keep the others busy so you can work, too."

"Thanks, Leo."

"No, thank you."

Don blinked.

"Without you, we wouldn't even be able to think about putting in perimeter surveillance. We might not even have heat and running water. You make it all work, Don. We'll do whatever we can to help, even if that means giving you space."

Don's face heated slightly. "Well, it wouldn't be worth doing if we weren't all together. I probably do ten times more work than I have to just because it's for you guys than I would if I were on my own."

"Good thing you won't be, then." Leo looked up at a sudden, loud crash. "Come on. Let's get them back to April's so we can start making a plan to move in before they break the new lair. We don't have a clear space for Master Splinter to assign backflips yet!"

Donatello laughed and shut the fuse box, turning with Leo to find out what their brothers had done and if it was fixable.

-==OOO==-

There was something vaguely tragic about the fact that the Hamato Clan had developed an actual system for setting up a new lair. But given the number of times they had moved in the last decade, it was almost inevitable.

After identifying a suitable spot and testing it thoroughly (Master Splinter was fairly picky about its secrecy, space, and also its scent, while Donatello ran the potential lair through a battery of tests that made a human home inspection look like a casual glance at a photograph), the first step was cleaning it.

It wasn't that the family was not in a hurry to get out of April and Casey's apartment and back to their lives. And it wasn't that they were putting off the laborious process of hauling everything salvageable from a compromised location in secret to their new lair, either. But, as even Michelangelo was forced to agree, there was nowhere to put their belongings until they had cleared out the space fully. And nobody liked sleeping with cobwebs hanging inches above.

Out of consideration for Splinter's sensitive nose, the bulk of the initial cleaning part was accomplished by the turtles alone. First, of course, was the release of several bug bombs to clear the area of unwanted guests. Then, Raph and Leo hauled the collected garbage out and distributed it throughout the sewers so it could not be traced back to their new domain. Michelangelo scouted for supplies. They were particularly careful to dispose of any scrap of cloth in the space, and any carpeting was ripped out with a vengeance. Partially this was for hygienic reasons, and partially this was because Donatello had developed a system for the last lair which he easily replicated to save them all countless hours of scrubbing.

"Everybody get ready!"

And he let loose a torrent of water from a modified firehose.

Raph and Mikey steered the hose around the main room, poking into every crack and corner, shattering caked-on dust like glass. It took two turtles to handle the hose whose weight could easily lift someone like April off the ground and fling her about like a ragdoll. Leo dodged ahead of them, identifying spots that might get missed and also those like the pretty glass in the main room's ceiling that could be damaged by the hose's force; these they would hand-wash later.

Donatello himself stayed at the base of the hose where it connected to the water lines and the equipment he had fashioned to support it. The mixture that would follow the first rush of water had to be carefully monitored.

When the entire lair had been soaked in regular water and the worst dirt and dust and other debris had been washed to the floor, Donatello activated his contraption. This infused the water with a cleaning solution he had modified from a recipe of ammonia, dish soap, and rubbing alcohol which killed a lot of the germs and bacteria that inevitably lived in the sewers, scrubbed at the dirt and dust that remained, and bubbled and foamed to show where the water had been and if any spots were missed. Raph and Mikey repeated their sprays, ceiling to floor, until the entire inside of the lair was a sudsy mess.

Then Donatello removed the cleaning solution from the water for his brothers to make a third pass, rinsing the soap. The bubbles were bright yellow, making it easy to see if they had clearly gotten all of it in their rinse – which was important, because, as they had learned the hard way, if the soap was allowed to dry without rinsing, it solidified into a strangely durable mass which had to be scraped off later.

The floor would by this point be a cold mess of dirty, lumpy, slimy, soapy water, all draining away – because, thankfully, all subterranean construction, no matter how old, was built to drain rather than allow water to pool – which would have to be mopped. That was the worst job, which was usually decided by a series of one-on-one battles or several rounds of rock-paper-scissors-turtle-alien.

This time, it was Leo who won that dubious privilege, but he set to his mopping with a will, trying hard not to think about the opaque, blackened water slithering around his ankles. Meanwhile, the other three turtles climbed throughout their very wet lair with the biggest, strongest fan blowers Don could retrofit for them, blow drying the lair a yard at a time. When the worst of the floor had been sluiced clean and the walls and ceilings no longer dripped, they set up every box fan they could find from four junkyards of searching and left it for the night.

And nobody mocked Leo for picking his way carefully through the sewers so that he didn't have to step in any more cold, disgusting water. Nobody was surprised, either, when he made a beeline for the shower back at April and Casey's place that night.

But the next day, the lair damp but quickly drying, was when the moving began for real.

"Good thing Donnie always keeps a spare sewer sled in the dead-end under the old runoff," Raph said as he pulled up in their only remaining vehicle to what had been their home. "This would be a lot worse if we had to carry everything the long way."

Leo nodded, but he wasn't looking at Raph. He was studying the blown-apart entrance to their former lair for signs of an ambush.

"Do you really think the Foot are campin' out down here waiting on you guys?" Casey asked, climbing off the modified third seat.

"Honestly?" Leo shrugged. "I have no idea what to expect from Karai anymore."

"Personally, I'd vote we assume she still wants to skin us alive and eat out of our shells," Raph said.

Leo didn't bother to respond to that. "I think the coast is clear. Let's get started."

The very first gadget Donatello had built after returning from Turtle Prime had been a sensor to check for tracking devices and monitoring bugs that could have been planted in their former home. Leo swept the previous lair with it carefully. The attack by the Foot had been a smash-and-grab sort of operation, not likely to employ any subtlety, but he was happier being cautious.

"You sure we need to do all this?" Casey asked after a half hour of watching Leo crawl over every inch of the lair.

"I'm sure."

Raph smirked. "Besides, it ain't paranoia if someone really is out to get you."

Seven tracking beacons and four listening bugs destroyed later, Casey was forced to admit they were right.

"Yeah, but then why do we gotta do this? Doesn't it seem kind of...extreme?" He looked at the second, slightly sinister device in Raph's hands.

Leo shook his head. "Donatello says he has everything he really needs backed up elsewhere, and this is the only way to be absolutely sure nothing is going to give our position away. There's always a chance our scanner missed something the Foot left behind, and we can't take the risk that they put something in Don's computer, either"

"But...the TV!"

Raph snorted. "Don't sweat it, Case. Don'll build us a new one." He glanced over to Leo. "Sure the sewer sled is out of range?"

Leo nodded. "Yup. And our Shell Cells are with it, too. Go for it."

Raph couldn't help giving one last, sad look to their huge TV which had somehow survived the attack by the Foot. But it wouldn't survive this.

He activated Donatello's EMP bomb. In an instant, everything from the computer system to the lowliest radio was permanently and irrevocably fried – and any other unwelcome tech along with it.

Raph dropped the EMP bomb and cracked his knuckles. "Now we start the big moving."

Casey groaned.

Meanwhile, at the new lair, Michelangelo, April, and Splinter were all doing the last cleaning and preparing, from drying any still-damp surfaces to sketching with chalk on the floor where items would be placed if they had survived in the old pump station. Of course, Mikey had added some drawings of his own, including several things on the floor of the room Raph had claimed as his that would have the hotheaded turtle seeing red, but he had also dutifully diagrammed a place for everything from where they were putting the couch to where they should pile up what April called 'Don's indiscriminate gear.'

Donatello was buried half in the ceiling doing the rewiring while muttering to himself. Periodically he would stick his head down and shout for someone to hand him something or to try a certain lightswitch to see if it worked yet. When he finished one section, he would propel himself across the ceiling in his jerry-rigged safety harness to a new spot where he would continue reconstructing the network of wires and fuses that gave every non-engineering-minded member of the family a headache just to consider.

By the time Leo, Casey, and Raph arrived with the first load from the old lair, Donatello had gotten most of the main lights working. He barely emerged except to confirm everything was okay while the others unloaded the sewer sled before resuming. Then Mikey, April, and Splinter hauled items to their designated spots while the rest went back for another pass.

It took four days, all told, to empty out the previous lair and for Donatello to get the new one rewired enough that he didn't fear starting a fire by plugging in a Shell Cell to charge.

Of course, by that time, tempers were fraying.

"Listen, you shell-for-brains, if you sneak even _one_ more phony spider into _any_ of my stuff…"

"Raph, go beat up Mikey someplace I'm not trying to hang these screens for Master Splinter!"

"Well, if you'd only let me paint your room pink I wouldn't need to torment you with bugs! And how do you _know_ they're _all_ going to be phony, anyway?"

" _Aaarrggh_!"

"Hey! Watch it! Do you know how hot a soldering iron gets? Do you _want_ to find out?"

"How come you guys haven't hooked up the bathroom yet, huh? It's a really long way back to the apartment and I gotta go, like now!"

"There's always Raph's room!"

"I am going to _kill_ you! Get back here!"

"Knock it off! These screens are _delicate_!"

"If nobody's got any better ideas, I'm gonna make a little boys' room around the corner, okay?"

"That is disgusting!"

"You're just jealous because you can't pee behind a tree like a guy."

"I don't _want_ to pee behind a tree _or_ around a corner, thank you very much!"

"Michelangelo, that's an access panel, not a shield, and I don't want to have to bang the dents out of it from Raph's fist! Give it back!"

"Don't worry! Raph won't even be able to catch me, because I am still the Battle Nexus-"

" _ENOUGH_!"

Four turtles and two humans froze, Michelangelo with a foot in midair as he had been preparing to launch himself to the roof of the defunct subway car. Master Splinter strode out from the far door of the car, his eyes sharp and his glare pointed.

But when he spoke, it was in a very different tone, calm and almost sweet. "My sons, I believe you have over-extended yourselves. And while I applaud your dedication to your work, we must practice balance in all things." He turned to Leo, who had carefully eased the paper-screen door to the ground. "Leonardo."

"Yes, Sensei?"

"Please take your brothers to the surface. I believe you will all be better able to focus after a lengthy training run."

Mikey blinked. "Are you kicking us out, Master Splinter?"

"Yes." His nose twitched, the only outward sign of his amusement. "Now go. And Miss O'Neil, Mister Jones, while I appreciate your help as well, I believe you have earned an evening to yourselves. Elsewhere."

Casey threw his arms into the air. "Woohoo! Don't have to tell me twice! Let's go, babe!"

April more hesitantly stepped away from where she had been preparing things to hand back and forth with Donatello. She glanced to him.

Don rose, carefully placing his soldering iron in its cradle. He shrugged at her. Then he looked to his father. "Me, too, Sensei?"

Master Splinter nodded. "I know you might prefer some quiet of your own in which to work, Donatello, but even you must rest your mind and allow your body to refresh its training."

Raphael snorted. "You just don't wanna hear him banging around in here, either."

Master Splinter did not acknowledge that. "I will see you all later." He turned to go back into the subway car. " _Much_ later, preferably."

Casey threw an arm around his wife's shoulders and steered her to the door of the lair at a jog, already beginning to negotiate to watch sports for the night. Donatello used their exit as cover to cross the open area of the lair and snatch his access panel back from Mikey, who was mostly keeping an eye on Raph in case of continued retaliation. While Don carried the panel back to the wall from which it had come to affix it, Leo got between Raph and Mikey and tried to glare them into submission.

Which, of course, just made him a target for both of them.

Don finished in time to see Leo getting it from both brothers, Mikey teasing and Raph insulting. _Well, at least they're getting along again...sort of,_ he thought to himself.

Leo looked up, clearly grateful for any distraction. "Ready to go, Don?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Nothing's going to short out or explode, anyway."

"Come on, Leo! Let's move." Raph said, shoving past him.

"What's the plan?" Mikey wanted to know. The look on his face gave him away – if Leo said they were going to do some rooftop racing, he would be off like a shot from here just for the head start.

Leo smirked. "First, just some patrolling. We should get used to the neighborhood anyway. Then maybe some Hide and Seek."

"Assuming we don't run into anyone who needs their heads bashed in," Raph added, leading the way to the ladder to the nearest manhole.

Within moments, the four had reached the surface and were making their silent leaps up the adjacent fire-escape to the roof.

"Wow." Donatello closed his eyes. "Feels good to be out in the wind again."

"You've definitely been cooped up too long if even you notice that," Leo said, nudging him.

"Hey, do you have any idea how much work there is in setting up a new lair complete with the best possible security and detection equipment?" Don shot back.

Leo shrugged. "Not a clue. That's what we've got you for, bro."

"So now that we're here, where we goin'?" Raph asked. But he had his own head thrown back and seemed to be enjoying the clear, warm night as much as Don.

Leo glanced around. "Let's do a full circuit from here to April's. Then we'll wander around a little more."

"Aw, come on!" Mikey whined. "That's boring! Can't we at least make it fun?"

Leo's eyes fell on the bounciest turtle and a smirk crawled across his smile. "Okay." He glanced to Raph and Don who both read the plan in his eyes and grinned.

"Great! So, racing?"

"Not quite." Leo stepped over to Michelangelo, getting between him and the other two.

Mikey gulped.

Leo's hand flew forward in a blur.

Mikey shrieked and ducked.

And felt himself get poked right in the beak.

"Tag. You're it!"

Mikey opened his tightly-squeezed eyes to see three retreating shells, Raph cackling madly as he ran.

"Oh, not fair, Leo! _So_ not fair! There's gonna be payback for that!"

And he darted after them.

There were two ways to play Ninja Tag, and how it was played mostly depended on who was It at the time. When Michelangelo and Raphael were It, it was a game of insults, yelled wisecracks, and near-misses; the goal became less to avoid getting tagged It and more finding out how close one could get to the turtle who was It without getting tagged. Mikey himself had set the record, actually having the sheer gall to bounce off Raph's shell one night without getting tagged. Raph's shout of fury could probably have been heard in Boston.

The other way to play Ninja Tag was more common when Leonardo and Donatello were It. Then, though it was still primarily a running and dodging game, it was done in total silence and shadow. Leo had the habit of vanishing into darkness and popping up beside one of his brothers when It, tagging them without them even knowing he was there. Don was no slouch at stealth, but he used it more to keep his brothers off-guard than to sneak up on them. His crowning glory had been the night he had manipulated Leo and Raph into chasing each other while he happily tagged Mikey and then hid under a gargoyle until the rest of them came to blows.

Tonight, with Mikey bellowing to their rear, the other three turtles gave voice to their chase, teasing Mikey – and one another – with every step. But Mikey gave as good as he got, relishing the opportunity to try out new insults.

Nobody could blame Raph for actually tripping over his own feet when Mikey called him an "eel-skinned walrus-head with buttery muscles and delusions of adequacy."

Leo would have tripped, too, except he was in the middle of a leap. After he managed a landing caught between laughing and staring, he looked up at Donatello a pace ahead of him.

Don shrugged. "I think he's been reading the comments sections on those articles online again…"

Raph got up just in time to avoid being tagged by Michelangelo and sprinted ahead spluttering incoherently.

Leo laughed and started to run, Don falling in beside him. "At least they're having fun."

" _I WILL KILL YOU MICHELANGELO!_ "

Don grinned. "Yup."

After that point, Mikey seemed to decide that Ninja Tag was merely a vector for shouting more and more outrageous insults at his brothers, usually Raph, and made less of an attempt to actually catch any of them. Things collapsed into an insult-war then, though the best Don could offer was "atomic mouth" and Leo mostly abstained because his attempts at insults were even less funny. Leo figured his function was to actually critique his team, and those comments were just not meant for joyous bellowing even if he was saving them up for later.

It was just as well that Leo was not trying to come up with increasingly silly taunts, because that meant he was the one paying the most attention to his surroundings when he was first to a rooftop quite near their second lair. The instant his feet touched the concrete tiles, every instinct in Leo's body went into overdrive.

Without turning, he gave a sharp, shrill whistle. It imitated the cry of a very startled bird, but it was a clear signal with a very specific meaning to his brothers: danger.

The laughter and joking cut off at once and Raph, Don, and Mikey sped up to join Leo on the rooftop only a few seconds later. They dropped into formation, Leo at the head, Raph guarding from behind, and Mikey and Don facing to either side.

Leo drew his swords. "Show yourself."

"It is an interesting reversal, is it not? For usually it is the ninja who conceal themselves in shadow and the samurai who stride openly into battle. But in your dimension, I thought it wise to comport myself more like ninja. It was not easy for me."

A form emerged from the darkness at the base of a turbine and Leo felt his guard drop in shock.

"Usagi?"

"Greetings, Leonardo-san." Miyamoto Usagi offered a respectful bow.

Leo returned it after a moment of surprise. "Usagi, it's good to see you!"

"What the shell are you doing on the roof in New York City?" Raph asked. He moved around Mikey to cross his arms, not precisely glaring at the rabbit from another world. It was probably only his brothers who could tell his stance apart from his usual antagonistic one; this one was actually curious, for all it still looked angrily murderous.

"Did you come to help us move? 'Cause dude, we already got all the heavy stuff out of the way, but you could help me sort what remains of my comics collection. Unless Gen is here." Mikey's eyes narrowed. "That guy isn't getting near my stuff ever again!"

"No." Usagi smiled. "In fact, I did not realize you had been forced to relocate until I arrived in your former lair and found it rather in shambles. I must admit, I was becoming afraid I would not be able to find you at all in this vast city of yours. Had I not encountered you tonight, I was prepared to give up."

Donatello bowed to Usagi politely. "How long have you been looking for us?"

"Three nights. I intended to leave after last night's failure, but I thought I would make one last attempt before returning home alone."

Leo frowned. "If you've come all this way and you took that much time trying to find us, it must be serious."

Usagi nodded. "It is. Very serious, Leonardo-san. But perhaps I should tell my tale elsewhere, out of the open."

"Yeah, come on and see our new place. It's not super fantastic yet, but it will be. You can practically smell the potential!" Michelangelo waved grandly.

"No, that's just your laundry, Mike."

Before Mikey could snap back at Raph, Leo cut them off. "Let's go. I'm sure Master Splinter will want to hear whatever you have to say, too."

The five descended the building and returned to the sewers.

Even many years later, they would all wonder what would have happened if Usagi had gone home the night before instead.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!
> 
> I am thrilled/terrified to debut the writing project which dominated almost the entirety of 2016. I began this project in November 2015 and wrapped it up in August 2016. This is not one novel, but rather 8 separate acts of the same story – one I very much needed to tell. It is Don-centric, but there is a LOT of room in these 8 acts for all the characters to shine and, trust me, they'll need it.
> 
> This picks up in the 2003 TMNT universe directly after the "Turtles Forever" movie, though it only references it in passing; the main thing is the destruction of the family lair in the movie which set up this first chapter and a lot of the subsequent events. Everything from the 2003 version is canon here, including Casey and April's wedding, various plotlines, etc. Some bits of the story will lean heavily on certain pivotal moments, and I'll try to call those out as they come.
> 
> The series is called "The Death-Knell of Silence" and I'll give a HUGE metaphorical hug to anyone who figures out why. But, fair warning – it's gonna be a while before things really get going. I'll be putting up 1 chapter every week (except a couple in the middle of the year when I'm super busy) and that will mean the whole series will wrap up in the 2nd or 3rd week of December. Seriously, it's that long.
> 
> Each act has a song associated with it from which I drew the chapter titles. I'll give a metaphorical hug and/or cookie to anyone who guesses the song before the end of the act.
> 
> We're gonna go some dark places, guys. Not darker than Bonds of Honor, but in that neighborhood. Okay? If you are concerned and want more specific warnings as we go, let me know. I'll be happy to provide them. Also, not all the acts will end at nice, happy places. Some are meant to break your heart. My beta has been waiting a year for you all to suffer the agony she went through waiting for me to finish each act for her to read. At least you only have to wait a week between chapters! She had to wait a month.
> 
> Lastly, I would like to solicit fanart for this story. I don't have a cover made and I really think this deserves one – I intend to put any and all art up here at AO3 in the relevant chapters. I have seen some AMAZING work for TMNT so I'm hoping someone out there will help me put something together!
> 
> (Update: user 1readerVB commissioned Sassatello from Tumbler to make the images that will now be at the bottom of each page. Check out all her work on Tumblr -- she is AMAZING! And thank you to my amazing reviewer 1readerVB for commissioning these on each chapter!)
> 
> I think that's all I've got for now. I hope this story brings you joy and laughter and, yes, also heartache and angst, but mostly I hope it holds you up the way it held me up all last year. Come back every week – I'll be here with more.
> 
> All my love, guys.


	2. Believer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya!
> 
> I have to say I am THRILLED with the response this story has gotten after just the first chapter. You guys are AWESOME.
> 
> Particularly for this Act 1 of 8, I ended up doing a metric ton of research about both the real Edo period in Japan and Usagi Yojimbo the series so I could try to get things as accurate as possible. That said, I'm no expert on Japanese culture at all and I profoundly apologize for anything that comes out incorrectly. But if you do have questions about something, please don't hesitate to ask!
> 
> Enjoy!

When the turtles and Usagi entered the new lair, Master Splinter poked his head out of the subway car.

"My sons. I did not expect you back so...quickly."

"Sorry, Sensei," Leo said, heading for him. "But something came up."

Usagi stepped into view and bowed low. "Greetings, Master Splinter. Please forgive my rudeness in interrupting your sons in their exercises."

Master Splinter moved to meet him and bowed also. "No forgiveness is necessary when a friend is in need. Please, be welcome in our new home."

Usagi glanced around. "While it is clearly not completed yet, I am amazed at the size and rare charm of this new abode," he said.

Leo and Master Splinter gave Usagi a brief tour, buying time for the others to act like polite hosts. Raph and Mikey gathered up the chairs that were easiest to move – three kitchen chairs, a folding metal chair, a footstool, and a camp chair – and set them up in a circle in the part of the room that was the most free of moving debris. Don went to the kitchen to make tea.

By the time Splinter, Leo, and Usagi had finished their rounds, the makeshift sitting area looked slightly less like a disaster. Through some rather creative blocking tactics, Mikey managed to finagle things so that when everyone was comfortably seated, Leo was stuck with the footstool. He, however, did not deign to sit on it; he opted to stand beside Splinter's place instead.

Usagi sat on the proper kitchen chair he was offered and accepted the cup of tea gratefully.

"I must confess, I feel a certain shame that my first visit here in several years is made not out of friendship, but necessity," he began.

"That's okay," Don said. "We haven't visited your world at all except for Leo that one time."

"True. Then, as you rightly surmise, I have come to you for some assistance."

The turtles exchanged looks. Master Splinter nodded. "Please explain."

Usagi took a deep breath.

"As you know, in my world I am ronin, a wandering samurai turning my blades against those who would do evil and in defense of those who are in need. There have been times I perhaps should have sought out other allies to assist me when I discovered an opponent was more dangerous than expected, but most often I have carried on alone. However, on this occasion, I cannot do so in good conscience.

"There is a Daimyo in my world, Lord Kawauso, who has only recently ascended to his position. His elder brother was the former Lord Kawauso, but he was killed mysteriously a few months ago after several strange things happened. Similar strange things began happening around the current Lord Kawauso, and he called upon me to join him and help guard against the same fate that befell his brother.

"When I arrived at his castle, which is far to the south of the lands in which I more often roam, I discovered several sinister things. Doors and windows barred at sunset would be found open at midnight as I made my rounds. Sounds of laughter or whispering could be heard from rooms in which no one could be seen. And for three months, at each instance of the new moon, a kunai dagger would be found embedded in Lord Kawauso's very door."

"Kunai?" Leo's eye-ridges went up. "That's not a samurai weapon."

"Correct, Leonardo-san. It is the weapon of a ninja, but no ninja that I have ever encountered, even the most skilled of the Assassins' Guild, can move so invisibly under my very eyes. During the most recent new moon, I myself sat watch at the Daimyo's door overnight. I give you my word of honor that I did not fall asleep, and yet I saw no one all night long. But when I looked above my head at dawn, another kunai had been driven into the doorframe."

"Creeeeeepy," Mikey said.

"Indeed." Master Splinter tipped his head. "What do you suspect, Usagi?"

"Scoff if you must, my friends, but I am beginning to think it may be the ghost of a ninja who stalks Lord Kawauso now. And against it, I am helpless." Usagi closed his eyes though his face remained composed. "It is for this reason I come to you."

"What are we supposed to do about a ghost?" Raph asked. "We ain't exactly the Ghostbusters here."

"No…" Donatello was looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "But we do have a pretty good track record against demons, you have to admit. And we've seen some things that looked and acted like ghosts but were really something else entirely, too."

"And either way, a ninja ghost is still a ninja," Leo said.

"Precisely. And ghost or otherwise, I believe it will require the help of a master ninja to defeat this one." Usagi looked around the circle. "The previous Lord Kawauso was killed on the fifth new moon after these frightening events began. This means that the current Lord Kawauso may have less than a month left to live. Therefore I have come to you for any assistance you may offer. I would do much to spare the life of the new Daimyo. He is honorable and just and my current loyalty to him is well-earned."

Splinter nodded. "Say nothing more, Usagi. We owe you our own lives, and we are friends as well. We will help you as much as we can."

Don bounced to his feet. "Give me an hour or so and I'll pull together any of my equipment that might help. I've just got to dig it out of the piles in my lab." He darted off.

"This is so cool!" Mikey cheered. "We get to go hang out in Usagi's world where we can, like, walk around outside in the open!"

"Indeed." Usagi nodded with a slight smile. "Though there are very few known members of the Kame Clan, you will be no more out of place than anyone else among my people. And Lord Kawauso is prepared to house you all at his castle until we can eradicate this threat."

"Hmm. Living in the open and hanging at a castle? I'm in." Raph grinned.

"If Don needs an hour, let's not waste it," Leo said. "Raph, you call Casey and April and let them know what's up. They'll need to feed Klunk for us."

Donatello's voice came echoing out of his lab. "Tell Casey not to come down here while we're gone no matter what! This place is barely turtle-proof and I don't have time to make it bonehead-proof!"

"Maybe I'll just run Klunk over there to stay with them," Mikey said.

"Good idea. Okay, then. Raph, you're on duty for packing up weapons and provisions." He held up a hand where Usagi was beginning to object. "I'm not doubting the word of Lord Kawauso offering us his support. I'm just taking precautions in case things go south or in case we need something specific that isn't available in your world."

"And what are you gonna do, Leo?" Raph asked, slightly annoyed.

"My son," Splinter said, "I believe it is time for you to learn the exact chant and symbols needed to reach Usagi's world as well as the Battle Nexus without relying upon myself. And I would also teach you the means to return here at will so that another besides Usagi and I can lead everyone home in an emergency."

Raph snorted. "Oh. Fun. You go stare at little scribbles then. I'll be trying to find our packs if anybody needs me."

"Save room for my equipment in mine!" Don called from his lab.

"Leave extra space," Mikey suggested with a wink. "In case he tries to bring the entire lair with him again!"

"I heard that, Mikey!"

-==OOO==-

It took Leonardo three tries to get the symbols right before the doorway opened properly to Usagi's world. The first attempt never even formed a portal at all, and the second opened to a strange, surreal world that looked more like an inkblot painting than a real dimension.

When Raph sniggered, Master Splinter gave him a firm whack with his walking stick.

"It is not as easy as it appears, my son. I suggest you attempt to master it yourself and see how well you fare."

Raph rubbed his head and muttered an apology, but he still snorted at Leo's frustration.

When the doorway to Usagi's world opened properly, the turtles blinked at the idyllic, lovely planet before them. The world was unspoiled, the sky a perfect blue and the rolling hills lush and green.

"Come, my friends."

Usagi led the way, Master Splinter just behind him and the four turtles lugging their packs afterwards. Raph had not skimped on supplies for the mission, including doubles of everything he thought they might need and triples of their first aid gear. He'd tried to make the packs as even as possible, but there was no way bandages and medicines could weigh as much as the various things Donatello had gathered together. Raph kept an eye on Don, but the purple-banded turtle did not flag or even groan under his extra-heavy burden.

However, it proved difficult for any of the turtles to think about anything when they emerged into Usagi's world and felt the warm sunlight, the grass under their feet, and saw a farmer who was also some kind of bear trodding the dirt road below.

Leo couldn't help it – he instinctively tensed and prepared to order a retreat into cover. But Usagi caught his arm.

"My friend. Your family is safe in the open now. Except for your being ninja rather than samurai, you will be well-esteemed here."

"What's wrong with being ninja?" Mikey asked.

Usagi said, "To me, nothing. But you are the first honorable ninja I had ever encountered. In my world, ninja are cowardly, dishonorable thieves and assassins who answer only to the highest bidder." He looked at the small family before him. "I have told Lord Kawauso of how different you are from the ninja of this world, but others will not be so discerning. You must forgive my people. To them, all ninja are enemies of the worst sort."

"My sons," Splinter said, meeting each pair of turtle eyes but holding Raph's the longest, "you must not allow any slight or unkindness from anyone here to cloud your judgment. They see us as we see the Foot. We must educate them through honorable behavior."

"So no bashing skulls, Raph," Leo added in a low voice. He got an elbow in his plastron for his trouble.

"But this does mean we'll be at a disadvantage," Donatello said after a moment of thought. "The other guards and samurai in the castle will look at us with suspicion. It could make it harder for us to operate if they're guarding against us all the time."

Usagi nodded. "Yes. I will do my best to serve as ambassador for you, but there will undoubtedly be some mistrust."

"Ah, don't sweat it, Usagi," Mikey put in. "Once they find out how cool and awesome we are, they'll come around. Everybody likes me eventually."

"Not everybody," Raph muttered.

"Are there other social rules we ought to be aware of, Usagi?" Splinter asked.

"Too many to name. However, I have faith in you. You all comported yourselves well at the Battle Nexus. I am confident any misunderstandings can be corrected."

Suddenly Donatello frowned. "Usagi, if I remember my history correctly, there were social strata around samurai as well. Do you have enough rank to help us out if we get in a jam?"

"An astute question, Donatello-san. Under normal circumstances, the answer would be no. As ronin, I garner far less respect than a samurai under the service of a Lord. However, Lord Kawauso has made it explicit that I am to be accorded the same treatment as his own samurai, and thus far his subjects have respected this decree."

"It helps that you're famous, doesn't it?" Leo asked.

Usagi looked away. "I would not say it so coarsely, but it is true that I bear something of a...reputation which may work in my favor to a certain extent."

Raph grinned. "That's just polite talk for you being a shell of a hero around these parts."

Mikey bounced, pack and all. "Oooh! Can I be a superhero too?"

"Let's just work on saving Lord Kawauso first," Leo said.

"Indeed. If you will follow me, the castle is only a short distance this way." Usagi began to head down the hill, the others trailing in his wake. "We will first get you settled in the guest chamber and see about providing you with some proper attire. Then we will go to Lord Kawauso so you may know whom we are here to protect."

"Clothes?" Raph asked.

"I guess I didn't notice it last time I was here," Leo said, "but I think he's got a point. Everyone here dresses like humans do back home. If we're only wearing our pads and gear, we're really going to stick out."

"Think you can get Raph a pink dress? Kimono? Whatever?" Mikey wanted to know.

"Think I can give you a pounding?" Raph shot back.

"I'll arrange for clothing like my own," Usagi said to the two turtles who were not feuding. "That will help in marking you as part of the samurai class as well as your behavior."

"Unless Raph and Mikey out us as low-class buffoons," Don said mildly.

"I'll show you a buffoon!" But most of Raph's annoyance was still focused on Michelangelo.

Usagi looked to Leonardo and Master Splinter. "Your visit to my world will not be boring, nor will it be a model of serenity. Will it?"

"It's not likely," Leo said.

By the time the six of them reached the main road that led to the castle, Raph had stopped talking to Mikey and Don had gotten between them to let Mikey babble about something to do with a comic-book character going back in time. There were not many people on the road, a few more bear farmers and one cat merchant hauling a cart, but they did look a little strangely at the turtles.

However, compared to New York where their best reaction was screaming or fainting, this was a vast improvement.

"We will enter the castle by the far gate," Usagi said, turning off the main road after less than a mile onto a narrower track. "This road continues into the village, but I think it will be easier for you if you do not meet the commoners until you appear more like what we wish them to believe you are."

The turtles shrugged and followed. They'd been scorned and hidden for so much of their lives, they had very little concern for what others thought of them by now.

They climbed a small rise. "There is Lord Kawauso's castle."

"Whoa. _Niiiiice_ ," Mikey approved.

On the crest of a hill stood a proud castle several stories tall, the curved eaves of the tiled roofs looking as they had in the books the turtles had read when practicing their Japanese. The castle's keep was only the central structure of the castle, though clearly the most impressive. At the base of the keep, several other buildings were crowded together, all surrounded by a defensive wall. Even from here, the turtles could see guards in full samurai armor guarding the walls and perched on outposts atop many of the buildings.

Don fidgeted. "Suddenly I'm feeling pretty underdressed for this."

"Underdressed? We're naked!" Mikey cried.

Usagi smiled. "By the standards of my people, yes. But that is why we will clothe you shortly."

Even Leo looked uncomfortable. "Any chance we could do that before we meet the Lord?"

Usagi nodded. "That was my suggestion as well, Leonardo-san. Come. Let us set your minds at ease, then."

Of course, actually entering the castle proved slightly more complicated than just waltzing in through a gate. Usagi spoke at length with whichever of the guards stood above the gate, waving the writ from Lord Kawauso complete with the Daimyo's seal, until finally the gate was opened enough for Usagi alone to enter to continue the discussion. Meanwhile, a small crowd gathered on the walls above them. The turtles gripped the shoulder-straps on their packs and tried not to look threatening.

"It is dishonorable for them to appear here in such a state!" one samurai said loudly from the wall.

Raph bristled and took a step forward.

"Steady," Leo warned. "We've got to prove that we belong here."

"Dude, I'm starting to think maybe we don't," Mikey whispered.

Master Splinter folded his hands before him and met the suspicious glares from above with calm equanimity. "We have agreed to help a friend. The opinions of others matter little, but we must not reflect poorly on Usagi or our host."

It wasn't until a messenger came down to the wall from the keep with another confirmation from Lord Kawauso that the gate was opened enough for the turtles and Splinter to follow Usagi.

"I apologize, my friends," Usagi said.

"Don't sweat it." Don gave a half-smile. "We're used to so much worse."

The rabbit ronin returned the expression. "As am I, Donatello-san."

The messenger from the Daimyo was a floppy-eared dog that stood a full head and shoulders taller than Usagi. He made a bow to the turtles and Splinter.

"My Lord has offered you the use of supplies from one of the storehouses to rectify your lack of appropriate garments. Please come with me."

Leo looked around inside the castle walls and realized that it was no mistake that there was not a direct path to the keep from any point on the wall. The whole interior was like a maze, sharp corners and blind turns everywhere. He tried to keep track of where they had been and noticed that Master Splinter was doing the same.

Then he felt a slight nudge. Leo looked up to see Don smiling slightly.

"I got it," he said in an undertone.

Then Donatello moved ahead of the others to walk between Usagi and the messenger. "So, the storehouses with spare clothing should be...hmm...two turns up and to the left?"

The messenger blinked. "Sorcery?" He began to recoil from the turtle.

Usagi raised a hand in a calming gesture. "I doubt it." He looked at Don. "How could you know that, Donatello-san?"

Don's easy smile widened. "Once I figured out that the pathways were leading us in a rough spiral pattern, I realized that buildings would be arranged by defensive value. So food and water and weaponry will be much closer to the keep, but items of lesser martial value will be closer to the perimeter. Then it was just a matter of estimating how many types of storehouses would be in a castle of this size and how far along the interior we had traveled to calculate the most likely position for each."

The messenger blinked at Donatello again. "I see that Miyamoto-san was correct about you Kame. You are clever in ways unlike other samurai."

Donatello blushed faintly at the praise, dipping his head and stepping back. Raph gave Don a congratulatory head-rub on his way to Leo's side.

"So you already know the way around here?" Leo asked.

Donnie shrugged. "More or less? Enough to make some good educated guesses, anyway. Once we reach the keep, I'll just need to see the complex from above and I'll have a much better mental map."

"Good. 'Cause if we get lost, either you're geting us un-lost or we're going to have to take to the rooftops and I get the feeling that our hosts won't appreciate that much. Especially the archers," Leo said.

"Though Mikey does look good as a pincushion," Raph put in under his breath.

Two turns later, the messenger led the group to the door of one of the buildings that looked identical to every other they had passed in the last few minutes.

"I will leave you in the care of Miyamoto-san. He will escort you from here to where you may deposit your belongings before you pay your respects to the Daimyo."

"Friendly guy," Mikey said as he rolled his eyes at the dog's back.

"It appears that, though we are better received here than we are at home, we are no less misunderstood," Master Splinter said. "But I believe we can yet demonstrate our worth to these allies."

The following twenty minutes were among the most exasperating – and in hindsight, hilarious – the turtles had known for a long time. While Master Splinter accepted a light kimono and hakama that made him appear even more dignified and imposing than ever, fitting kimono on the turtles was another thing entirely.

"It's because of our shells," Don said after stripping off a third kimono that refused to be tied closed correctly without ripping. "We have a wide girth for our height, so the kimono that fit us laterally are way too tall."

"Are you calling us short and fat, Donnie?" Mikey asked.

"Some more than others, Mikey," Raph told him.

"Hey! Exactly _which_ turtle has the widest girth, Raphie-boy? Because it isn't me!"

Leo was forced to intervene before Raph ruined any clothing in the fight that would otherwise commence.

Eventually, Usagi managed to find some haori that were worn by samurai over their armor, making them wider rather than taller. He frowned the whole time he helped the turtles into them because haori were meant to be worn over a kimono, not instead of one, and no matter how neatly he tied them, they did not look quite right to his sensibilities.

At last he sighed. "If you remain more than a few days, we may ask a local merchant to produce true kimono in your sizes. Until then, it is my hope this will be forgiven as you are foreigners and not expected to know any better."

Raph tried an experimental punch. "The pants are okay, but I can't imagine having another robe under this thing and still bein' able to fight. It's like trying to stab through a straight-jacket."

"Hakama, not pants," Donatello corrected automatically.

The advantage of the haori, however, besides the fit and the shorter sleeves that gave the turtles more mobility, was that they were all neutral in color and devoid of the crests Usagi called "mon" that denoted rank, Clan, and affiliation. Usagi explained that it would be disingenuous for the turtles to wear the mon of Lord Kawauso as they were not pledged to his service, just as he did not wear it.

"If we had a mon, what would it look like?" Leo asked.

"A pizza?" Mikey suggested.

Don grimaced. "Okay, you're officially not allowed to design any symbols to denote the family."

"The Kame Clan has a mon which is a version of a turtle shell," Usagi said. "Something like that would be appropriate. But you will not be here long enough to warrant the use of one."

"So now that we're all dressed up, let's get this party going." Raph spun his sai a few times before sticking it in the hakama's ties as he normally would his own belt.

Leo and Mikey followed suit with their own weapons, Leo shifting the sheathes of his swords to mirror Usagi's at his waist, but Don hesitated. It was possible for him to keep his bo in his belt at his back, but the angle at which the hakama was tied meant he was more likely to break the ties than his brothers if he had to draw quickly, and ripping off one's hakama at the start of a fight didn't seem like the best way to make a good impression. However, Splinter helped him affix his proper belt in position such that it was hidden by the hakama and haori but still accessible in its customary spot.

"Now we're ready," Leo said. "Let's go drop off our stuff and meet the Daimyo."

"My sons." Splinter faced his turtles. "This is not a world in which we can make mistakes with our etiquette. We must be cautious and we must be respectful. Therefore, I forbid any of you to speak in the presence of the Daimyo for now, unless you are directly addressed by myself, Usagi, or Lord Kawauso."

He turned to Leonardo. "As chunin in this Clan, Leonardo, I expect the most from you."

Leo bowed. "I won't fail you, father."

Usagi led the way from the storehouse through the many twists and turns towards the keep. After only a few minutes, he turned to Leo.

"If I may ask, Leonardo-san…"

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

"If you are Heir to the Clan after Master Splinter, who is your own chunin?"

"Oooh, buddy. Don't go there," Mikey said, waving his hands. "Seriously. We want these people to like us, right?"

As one, Donatello and Raphael glared at him.

"It's not that bad," Donnie said.

Raph grunted. "Yeah. Don't put your mouth where it don't belong, Mike."

Usagi raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Master Splinter coughed delicately. "Usagi, you are aware that my sons may consider themselves older or younger as a matter of amusement, but that this distinction is less in fact and more in designation, correct? That their ages are, in truth, virtually identical and nearly impossible to determine?"

"I had guessed something of the sort, yes."

"It's very simple," Donatello said suddenly, not looking at Raph at all. "In the field, Raph acts as the second-in-command to lead us in a fight if Leo isn't there. But if it isn't a field situation, it takes a different set of skills to be a full chunin, especially in a Clan this small. The problem is that traditional Clan hierarchy doesn't allow for a split like that. The martial leader should be the only one that matters, and that would mean Raph, but..."

"It just doesn't work out," Leo finished, frowning. "Don's the one who makes everything we need to survive and keeps our home running smoothly and figures out how to get us out of as many problems as we get ourselves into. But Raph is more likely to take command in combat. So naming either one of them officially is...awkward."

"It shouldn't be," Raph muttered. Don shrugged and didn't say anything.

Mikey pointed at them. "See! That's what happens. Donnie doesn't fight for his spot and Raph _only_ fights. When Raph's in charge, all his plans are 'go bash some heads' so we do that. But if we didn't, we'd just be stuck listening to Donnie _think_ all the time."

Usagi frowned. "But if you are all in agreement, why are you so hesitant to discuss it?"

"Because," Master Splinter said, "it is a matter of honor. And bragging."

"And therefore I'm not introducing either one of you as my formal second and they can all just figure it out," Leo said, glaring back the rest.

Don shrugged again and Raph scowled.

Mikey winked. "It just burns Raph's tail that he's not good enough to run the team when we're not fighting. Which is why he always wants to be fighting, so he can always-yikes!"

Mikey wasn't fast enough to escape the tug on his bandana tails. But it was Master Splinter himself admonishing him.

"You would be wise to keep your commentary to yourself, my son."

"Yeah. 'Cause if I had to pick next in line, I'm more likely to pick Klunk the cat than you, doofus," Raph grumbled.

Usagi was quiet as he led them through a final gate and into the castle keep where he guided them to a room on the ground floor. The castle reminded the Hamato Clan strongly of the pictures they had seen in books growing up, the style elegant and refined. Their own chamber was no less well-appointed, the floor smooth and clean and the rolled up sleeping mats put away without a single crease. As the turtles began setting down their packs and stretching their shoulders, however, Usagi drew near to Donatello.

"I owe you an apology, Donatello-san."

"You do? How come?"

Usagi spoke with a forthright frankness that was neither ashamed nor apologetic. "When we first met, I believed you to be ranked the lowest in your Clan. My assumption dishonored your true value, and for this I ask your forgiveness."

"Is it because I lost first at the Battle Nexus?" Don asked.

"Partially. But it was also your weapon and your general behavior. Caring for the injured is an important function, but it is not usually given to one who is highly valued as a warrior. I learned first-hand how skilled you are, of course, and have had cause to recognize your intelligence as well. But your way of remaining in the background is not the way of most chunin."

Don let that part pass. "What does my bo have to do with this?"

"Samurai always carry at least two visible weapons," Usagi explained. "Those who carry but one are of the lowest rank, barely samurai at all. To fight with a naginata is not uncommon among samurai, but no samurai would ever carry only a bo with no blade on his person."

Don shrugged. "I can use swords and naginata and spears and such. I'm just not as interested in a bladed weapon."

"As I now understand. However, I felt I owed you an apology." Usagi gave a half-bow.

Don returned it. "Apology accepted, Usagi. Don't worry about it. Where I fit in this family isn't really as big a deal for me. I just want to do what I do best. I'm sure you're not the only person in this world that will make that assumption."

"No. In fact, I believe almost everyone will do the same," Usagi said.

Master Splinter joined them. "That may be to our advantage, I believe."

"How so, Sensei?" Leo asked, looking up from unpacking the essentials from their bags.

"This is a highly regimented society where notice is taken according to rank. If Donatello is thought to be of lesser worth than the rest of you, he may not be watched as carefully, nor expected to be as dangerous." Splinter smiled. "I believe that will afford him a certain freedom of movement, and therefore observation, which we may need to defeat the enemy before us."

Don's eyes lit up. "Play the part of the least important person in the room and let everyone forget about me. If we're not dealing with a ghost and it's really a person behind everything, I'll be more likely to figure out how they're doing it if nobody thinks I'm worth watching out for."

"Hey, usually I get to play the dumb one!" Mikey said, and he grinned through his pout.

Raphael did not let him down. "Who says you're _playing_ at it, you shell-for-brains?"

"Sounds like a solid plan to me," Leo said. "Don, as long as you don't mind?"

Donatello shrugged. "I don't care if the people of this world think I'm lowest in the Clan or a king. I just want to get this situation cleared up so we can get back to fixing up the lair."

 _Good old Donnie_ , Leo thought. _Another reason he's a better second-in-command than Raph when it comes to the family overall, though he'll never match Raph in battle._

"Now that this has been settled, are you prepared to meet the Daimyo?" Usagi asked.

"Yes," Master Splinter said. "Let us be introduced to your Lord Kawauso so we may seek out that which threatens him and restore peace here."

Usagi led the way up into the keep to a corridor guarded by a pair of otters in full armor.

"I have returned with the Kame Ninja Clan of which I spoke to Lord Kawauso four days ago," Usagi said.

One of the guards turned go down the corridor, kneeling before sliding open the door and speaking softly. When he returned he gave a short nod.

"The Daimyo will see you now." But his eyes glittered at the turtles and Splinter, a clear warning in them.

However, Usagi thanked him politely before he moved to the now-open door. "Lord Kawauso." He bowed at the waist, gesturing for the turtles to follow him.

The room in which the Daimyo received the turtles was light and airy, the scent of wood heavy in the air. At the far end, the Daimyo sat on a thick mat placed upon a slightly raised dais. Like Usagi, the turtles bowed first at the doorway, then again before they settled in two kneeling rows before the Daimyo. Usagi sat to the left of Splinter with Leonardo on his Sensei's right. Behind them, Donatello quietly slipped to the spot behind Leo, letting Raph and Mikey place themselves ahead of him.

"Lord Kawauso, allow me to present Hamato Splinter and his four sons: Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello."

The Daimo inclined his head. He, like his guards just outside the door, was an otter. But he seemed larger in the ceremonial robes that pooled around him.

"Miyamoto Usagi," he said in a serene, even tone, "I am grateful you have returned with the allies of whom you spoke so highly. While I am not in the habit of hiring ninja to my service, I believe there may be wisdom in sending a ninja against our ghost."

Master Splinter inclined his head. "Lord Kawauso, we are grateful for the opportunity to defend you from evil. We are honored at your extension of trust and grateful for your generosity."

"That trust of which you speak is based on the advice of Miyamoto Usagi, whose honor is well known in my lands. I have also heard a tale of your son Leonardo from Lord Noriyuki while I was in Edo. Both have assured me that yours is a right and honorable Clan, Hamato Splinter."

Splinter accepted the praise with a slight bow.

"Now that you are here, I will instruct my warriors to permit you access to any part of the castle you may require while you investigate the threat against me. There are fifteen days to the next New Moon, and if events unfold as they did for my elder brother, that night will mean my death."

"We will find the culprit in time, Lord Kawauso," Usagi said. "We will not fail you."

"I hope not. Should I be killed, my land and title will revert to a relative whose designs have always made me suspicious. If not for my own life, I request that you bring this ghost to light before he robs my people of their rightful Daimyo and leaves them in the hands of one less-suited to rule. If you require more of me than has been provided, you may ask."

"Thank you, Lord Kawauso." Splinter bowed low.

Clearly dismissed, Usagi, Splinter, and Leo rose first, bowing again as they turned to leave. Raph and Mikey were right on their heels, but Donatello moved more slowly, looking about the room with eyes that wandered and a slightly thoughtful expression. He was so caught up, he almost forgot to bow again at the door and the one he managed was slightly clumsy. But he just rolled his eyes at Leo's glower and shrugged.

"Come," Usagi said. "I will show you where the Daimyo sleeps that you might see how close his enemy came to him while even I stood guard."

Between sets of guards in the hallway, Raphael leaned to Don. "Did you see anything in the throne room?"

Don's forehead wrinkled. "I saw something...but not enough to be sure of anything."

"What'd you see?" Mikey asked.

But Don shook his head. "Not yet. Let me gather a little more information."

Leo looked back and met Don's eyes. "I saw something, too, but I don't know what it means."

"I don't get how there could be anything that room – it was cleaner than Raph's plate on Nacho Night!" Mikey said.

Don and Leo exchanged mysterious smiles.

"Usagi," Master Splinter said, "can you tell us how the previous Daimyo died?"

Usagi shook his head. "To be honest, no one is entirely certain of the cause. There was no mark upon the body, and nothing in the room had been disturbed. But from what I have been told by the servants and guards who found the former Daimyo dead, there was an expression on his face of untold horror and terror."

"Aaaand we're back to Creepyville." Mikey shivered. "Geez, Usagi. When you guys live in a ghost story, you don't pick a boring one, do you?"

"I am not certain it was my choice to inhabit a ghost story, Michelangelo-san."

But Donatello was ignoring them. "Hmm."

"What's 'hmm,' Donnie?" Raph asked.

Don tipped his head back a bit in thought. "Just a few more pieces."

"Anything we should be on the lookout for?" Leo asked.

"Not yet. If I'm wrong, I don't want to throw us all off the track. Just...keep your eyes peeled."

Raph grunted. "So, Usagi, is this ghost stuff normal around here?"

Master Splinter chuckled. "My son, you ought to have paid more attention to some of the stories from your Japanese legends. If Usagi's world is at all like the Edo period of our own Japan, it is rich in tales of monsters, demons, and ghosts, many of whom are capable of far more nefarious acts than we have seen thus far."

"I remember," Leo said. "The Split-Mouth Woman, the Snow-Demon, the Hunger Gods. Pretty nasty stuff."

"Indeed." Usagi nodded. "The spirits and ghosts of my world are powerful and not to be taken lightly when angered. If it is the ghost or spirit of a ninja who haunts the Daimyo, we must use great caution in identifying and appeasing it."

Mikey grinned. "Well, good thing we're here! We know exactly how to handle ghosts who don't know that Halloween is over."

Raph swatted at him. "Oh yeah? And how do we handle them, Mister Great Brain Turtle?"

"Simple. We ask Donnie, Resident Genius."

-==OOO==-

The Daimyo's sleeping chamber was guarded by four more otter samurai, and it took both the writ of Lord Kawauso and a potent glare from Usagi to earn them passage. But Leonardo and Master Splinter displayed impeccable manners, and Mikey held still, so there was a glimmer of respect in the guards' eyes when they ultimately permitted entry.

The bedroom was virtually identical to the room in which the Daimyo had received them, except that a low bed sat upon the dais at the far end and the walls were not burnished plain wood; rather, they were lined with printed scrolls depicting battles, serene scenes of water and flowers, and several other otters who bore a strong resemblance to the current Lord Kawauso.

"Haven't these people heard of clutter?" Raph asked, glancing around.

"Only peasants permit their dwellings to be untidy," Usagi said with a slight wrinkle of his nose. "It is the sign of inferior breeding and a common, unrefined mind."

Three of the four turtles immediately found something more interesting than the conversation. Leo snorted in amusement at his brothers' embarrassment.

"So, what are we looking for?" Mikey asked, tipping his head at one of the battle scenes on a nearby hanging. "'Cause I'm not seeing much other than art. I mean, cool stuff, but just art."

Leonardo and Donatello exchanged glances again before turning to examine the room intently.

Master Splinter took a step forward. "Usagi, since you are more familiar with rooms such as these, perhaps you can tell us what is out of place."

Usagi nodded. "It is a well-appointed and very typical room for one in the position of Lord Kawauso. I do not note anything absent that I would expect to find."

Don was moving sideways. "Usagi? Have the windows always been sealed shut?"

Usagi shook his head. "No, Donatello-san. That was done two months ago, shortly after my arrival."

Don ran a hand lightly over the smooth wood, pushing slightly to see if the seal was as sound as it looked, but the window did not budge. "And these protective charms?"

Now that he had mentioned them, the others noticed the small slips of papery cloth inscribed with words in a language they did not recognize. They were placed all over the room, in each corner, at each join of the wood in the windows, even on the rafters. But obvious effort had been made to keep them unobtrusive. However, once they knew where to look, they could see dozens of them.

"They are meant to ward off ghosts," Usagi explained. "There is a priest who prepares them for the Daimyo. He and his assistant craft new such protective charms each day to prevent them from losing potency when it is most needed. They also burn various incenses and work other rituals of purification and defense against evil."

"Were these here when you were on watch and the knife appeared over your head?" Leo wanted to know.

Usagi nodded. "I believe the charms have been changed each day since before the former Lord Kawauso's death."

"What are you thinking, Leo?" Raph asked.

"There were charms like this in the throne room, too," Leo said, nodding his head at Don. "I don't know enough about them to be sure, but this many charms should keep an army of ghosts out according to legend. Of course, for all I can tell, the charms might just say 'hey, ghost, come on in.'" He turned to Usagi. "Can the priest be trusted?"

Usagi nodded. "Yes, absolutely. He has maintained his position here for many years and was trusted by the former Daimyo."

"And his assistant?" Master Splinter asked.

"Comes from good family and has never shown any reason to mean ill to anyone."

Across the room, Donatello was frowning. "Hmm."

Mikey bounced to Don's side. "What's going around in that big brain of yours?"

"Well, I'm not an expert either," Don said slowly, "but I agree with Leo. This many charms changed daily should be able to repel any dozen ghosts and most low-level demons, too."

"So what's that mean?" Raph crossed his arms.

Don tipped his head back, his eyes vacant as he peered vaguely into the rafters above. After a moment, he brought his gaze back down, a new light in his expression.

"I think we have some questions to ask."

"I think so, too. We should probably split up," Leo said. "Don, who do you want to talk to?"

"The priest and maybe his assistant, and anybody else who saw the former Daimyo's body before it was prepared," he answered.

"I will accompany you, if you will permit me," Usagi said. "The temple is beyond the castle walls. The priest is an honorable man, but this matter is quite sensitive. He may not be willing to discuss anything with a stranger. My presence could help to smooth the way."

Leo nodded. "Good idea. "I'm going to go find the head of the guards around here and ask about standard security. Raph and Mikey, I want you two to start checking the keep for any entry points we haven't thought of yet. We don't know what we're up against, so be on the lookout for ways into this building that might work for something small."

"How small is small?" Mikey asked.

"Start at Klunk-sized and work your way up. Anything you find, keep track so we can block them up and put guards on them later." Leo turned to Master Splinter. "What will you do, Sensei?"

Master Splinter smiled slightly. "I will meditate. I would like to familiarize myself with this place on the astral plane so that I may be more keenly aware when something unwelcome draws near."

"Let's meet back in our room in two hours. Then we can pick up wherever Raph and Mikey leave off. And maybe by then we'll have some more information to work with."

Leonardo led the way out of the sleeping chamber, confident in his plan and in his family's ability to unravel this mystery. Raphael and Michelangelo followed, already discussing how to go about their search. But Donatello remained behind once more.

Splinter put a warm paw on his elbow. "What troubles you, my son?"

Donatello's brow was furrowed again, though his head was tipped downward this time. "Something...doesn't feel right somehow."

"What do you mean?" Usagi asked. He waited for them near the door where the guards outside could see that he was still watching the unknown ninja in their Lord's room.

"I'm not sure yet. It's just a feeling, I guess."

His father patted Donatello's arm. "My son, like your brothers, your guesses and instincts are often correct. When you can put words to what you sense, please do not hesitate to share it. This is a dark puzzle in which we have found ourselves, and every piece may help."

Donatello shook himself of his pensiveness and nodded. "I will, Master Splinter. But I think I'll get more pieces from the priest than anything else right now."

"Very well. Then I will accompany you as far as the ground floor so I may begin my own investigation."

Usagi led the way from the chamber past the guards, catching up to the other three turtles only somewhat down the hall; Leonardo had paused to wait for his brother and father and friend. Donatello matched Usagi's stride and closed the gap, shaking his head at the worried look from Leo.

Behind them, Splinter suppressed a shiver of his own. Like Donatello, he sensed a dark foreboding on the horizon. But unlike Donatello, his fear was not of the strangeness of the situation or the mystery surrounding them.

_I sense the potential for great calamity ahead. Guide me, Master Yoshi, that I may protect my sons and bring my family safely home from whatever awaits us in this world._

* * *

__


	3. Walls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for the response so far! It's a slow burn, but we're moving along!
> 
> Enjoy!

The highest-ranking samurai under the Daimyo and also the one in charge of the guards at the castle was an otter by the name of Honda Ryome. Usagi introduced all four turtles and Master Splinter to the sharp-eyed samurai before taking his leave with Donatello and Splinter.

"The Daimyo has said to permit you Kame full access to the castle and to assist you in any way we can," Honda said. He turned to Leonardo. "Where will you begin, Hamato Kame-san?"

Mikey jumped in. "Isn't that gonna get confusing after a while? I mean, since we're all Hamato Kame? Wouldn't it be easier to use our actual names?"

Honda Ryome's eyes narrowed. "If I choose to speak to _you_ , Kame, I will, and you shall know it."

"Knock it off, Michelangelo," Leo said with a deep frown. He bowed. "My apologies, Honda-san."

Honda acknowledged the bow with a dip of his head. "To be honest, we do not expect good manners of ninja. Though I did not anticipate such...common behavior. Still, the Daimyo's orders are clear and it is my duty to obey."

"My brothers," Leo gestured, "would like to begin examining the castle's keep for any secret entrances or small gaps that might permit an intruder. I am certain you and your guards have been vigilant, but there may be some weakness a ninja might find that would not be obvious to you."

Honda Ryome nodded. "I will assign a guard to accompany them."

Leo could feel the censure, the uncertainty that his ninja brothers wouldn't just turn around and start in on the 'ninja treachery' Usagi had complained about so often, but this was not their world and he had to be patient with their ways. "Thank you."

"And you, Hamato Kame-san?"

"If you don't mind, I would like to talk to you and go over your security plans myself." Then Leo had a thought and added, "And if you kept the kunai that appeared on the doorframe, I would like to see it, too."

"That cursed object we gave to the priest for purification and disposal, but you may see my notes on it," Honda said. "Then we will walk the perimeter."

"Thank you."

While Honda called in a guard and spoke to her in a low voice, Leo grabbed Raph and Mikey and pulled them aside.

"Guys. Keep your eyes open, but don't irritate the samurai, okay? I mean it." He glared at both of them. "Their honor is prickly and the one thing we don't want is to wind up in a duel to the death because you made a bad joke."

"Hey! None of my jokes are bad!" Mikey protested. "Ow! _Ow_!" He rubbed his head at the double slap delivered by each of his brothers. "Maybe I should have gone with Donnie instead."

"No way." Raph shook his head. "I ain't wandering around with all these stuck-up samurai looking at me sideways all by myself."

"Look," Leo said, dropping to a near growl and using the tone his brothers called his Shut Up And Listen Voice. "We are guests here, and strangers too. We have to play by the rules. Besides, we have no idea who we can trust around here. For all we know, the bad guy we're looking for is one of the samurai guards. You both need to keep your eyes open and play nice. Don's doing his part by pretending to be useless. You have to pretend to be better than what the people here expect. That'll give you a chance to talk to them and maybe get them to drop a clue."

"Okay, Leo, but if I don't find a way to have some serious fun later, I am going to be one cranky Mikey."

"Deal."

"Hamato Kame-san?"

Leo turned to face Honda. "I'm ready."

"This is Sato Takeko," Honda said. "She will guide your brothers."

Leonardo bowed to her. "I am Hamato Leonardo. These are Hamato Raphael and Hamato Michelangelo. Thank you for your help, Sato-san."

Sato Takeko was built a little more finely than Honda, and her otter fur was a slightly lighter color. She looked to Raphael and inclined her head. "Where would you like to start, Kame-san?"

Raphael did not smirk at Mikey for the way she looked right through him as if he didn't exist. "Let's start at the front door and work around each floor until we get to the top," he said.

Mikey shot Leo a pouting glance; he was _not_ enjoying being ignored.

_Unfortunately, that's part of the plan. If they're ignoring Mikey, they won't even see Donnie. But when this is over, we should probably do something special for both of them. It's going to be tough for them being treated like this for too long. I don't want them to think Raph and Master Splinter and I forgot how much we need them both. When we go home, I'll make it up to them._

-==OOO==-

Donatello followed Usagi through the twisting maze outside the castle's keep to the main gate. Once there, Donatello was given almost a dozen sour looks from a variety of species, none of whom seemed to approve of the presence of a ninja in their midst. But Usagi firmly reminded them of the Daimyo's orders and they did not impede their progress, though they slammed the gate behind Donatello with a little more force than necessary.

"I apologize, Donatello-san," Usagi said. "It is not honorable to treat a guest so, even if he is ninja. But I believe that their current fear for Lord Kawauso outweighs their sense of hospitality."

"Don't sweat it, Usagi." Donatello shrugged. "We're used to being different. At least here nobody is screaming about monsters and aliens and calling the police on us." He glanced back at the gate. "It's not their fault that ninja are the boogeymen of this world. From what you've told me, if we were any other ninja, they would be right to be suspicious. So I can't really blame them."

Usagi smiled. "I am grateful for your kindness. Many warriors of my world would be deeply offended by such suspicion. This will go much better for everyone if your family can avoid allowing these insults to trouble you."

Don laughed a bit. "Well, they don't trouble me, anyway. I wouldn't be so sure about my brothers, though."

"Leonardo-san will comport himself with honor, and that along with his rank will earn him quick allies," Usagi said. "But I see your point. Raphael-san and Michelangelo-san are quick to reply when affronted, though in different ways."

"I'm sure they'll do their best," Don said. Then he stopped. "Oh, wow."

Immediately outside the castle walls were a few low buildings very like those inside the walls – Donatello had assumed these were barracks and such for some of the guards belonging to the castle. But once they had cleared these buildings, they had an unimpeded view of the village below.

"After your world of magnificence, such a country town cannot be of great admiration, can it?" Usagi asked, looking sideways at his friend.

Donatello swallowed, his eyes trailing over the various animals living their lives in the open – the women and children walking together in the streets, the groups of diverse creatures gathered together around a stall in the marketplace, the shrine at the edge of the village with statues of many different family totems. He had to clear his throat before he could speak.

"It...it doesn't match New York for size or grandeur, but...I've rarely seen someplace we could really belong before. Someplace where what we are made sense."

"Ah." Usagi understood. He lowered his voice. "As a wanderer, I know well the value of any place I am welcomed rather than shunned. I imagine even the smallest village of my world is more welcoming than your own home."

"Very." Donatello took a deep breath and started walking again. "I can't wait for the guys to see this. They'll never want to leave!"

Usagi chuckled. "Gennosuke felt much the same about your world, but with time the troubles of it became more apparent and the familiar warmth of home seemed keener. Even he was grateful to leave in the end. I am sure your brothers will enjoy their stay, but I do not think they would ultimately be happy living here."

"Well, I wouldn't!" Don said. "You don't even have computers yet!"

"You showed me something by that name in your world. Can you tell me more about them?"

Don entertained himself by explaining modern technology to Usagi while they walked. It also served as a distraction, allowing him to keep up an easy chatter and not stare at the surroundings that were so different and yet somehow so comfortable in the village. Not only did the population seem largely unbothered by a turtle in their midst, but the very houses and wares and fashions were all straight out of some of the books of his childhood, books Master Splinter had used to teach the turtles about their Japanese heritage. It was, Donatello imagined, a bit like returning to the lands of one's forefathers, even though their true Clan lineage was human.

On the far edge of the town was a small house beside another, much larger shrine, and it was here Usagi led Donatello. Just up the steps to the shrine and beneath the vibrant red torii gate, a diminutive squirrel wore the white joe robes of a kannushi, a priest, while sweeping the path.

"Kannushi-san," Usagi called softly. "Please excuse us for intruding."

The squirrel smiled but there was a tiredness to the expression. "Good afternoon, Miyamoto-san. Please enter freely."

Usagi led Donatello up the steps. "Thank you. Please allow me to introduce Hamato Donatello, fourth son of the Hamato family which has come a great distance to help protect the Daimyo."

Donatello's face quirked slightly at the 'fourth son' designation, but he did not smile because it would be rude. Instead, he bowed. "I am Hamato Donatello. I am pleased to meet you, kannushi-san."

The priest bowed as well. "I am Fujioka Daiki. Please be welcome in the shrine." He looked up to Usagi. "This, then, is one of the ninja Kame Clan the guards were told to expect?"

"Yes. They are honorable though they are also ninja." Usagi did not fidget, but his voice sounded like he wanted to. "Already the other three brothers begin to secure the castle against any who might threaten the Daimyo."

"Ah. If I may be of assistance, then, please ask. I will do whatever I can to help in protecting Lord Kawauso from this danger." And he turned his eyes to Donatello. "I perceive you may have questions for me?"

"Yes, I do. Though…" Don glanced to Usagi, "they may seem impolite."

The priest nodded. "I will answer you as best I can, Kame-san."

"I noticed many protective charms at the castle. In your experience, would such charms be enough to ward off an angry ghost?"

The squirrel nodded. "I have faced several ghosts in my time as kannushi, and all were repelled by only one or two such ofuda. Never have I heard of anyone using so many to such little result."

Donatello brought one hand to his chin, tipping his head and thinking. "And you refresh them every single day? I thought they could last a while before losing their power."

"You are correct, Kame-san. Normally they would be replaced once a year. But in this case, we thought it best to ensure the ofuda are at their most powerful at all times."

"Hmm." Donatello dropped his hand and lowered his head slightly. "Forgive me for asking but...you found the previous Daimyo the morning after his death, correct?"

"Yes, I did."

"And did anything seem...out of the ordinary?"

"How so?"

Donatello had to choose his words carefully or he knew he would spend the next hour explaining forensic science to the priest. "Were any items out of place? Or was there dust in an odd configuration? Did you smell anything strange?"

The priest shook his head. "The only scent I recall was that of the incense we left to purify the air only a few hours before. Nothing was disturbed that we could see."

Donatello took a breath. "And...the body. I know it is improper but…"

At this, the priest drew himself up. "I will not dishonor one who has gone with gossip of any lurid details."

"I only want to know about the expression on his face," Donatello said quickly. "Usagi told me it...that he looked as if he had been afraid."

The priest nodded, but when he spoke, it was in a low, furtive tone as though he were admitting something shameful. "Yes. He bore a twisted expression, one that even caused my poor assistant to become insensible. It was...as though he had looked into the face of Death itself. His whole body was rigid with terror."

Usagi nudged Donatello, but Don had already concluded that he had pushed the priest beyond what was socially acceptable. He bowed his head. "Thank you, kannushi-san. I appreciate your honesty."

Clearly relieved, the priest returned the bow. "I wish you good fortune in finding whatever evil has haunted our Daimyo. If there is anything I can do to help in driving it away, you need only send a messenger to me day or night and I will come."

"Thank you." Usagi bowed as well. "I shall remember that. Excuse us." And he turned to go, Donatello on his heels.

When they had moved away from the shrine, Usagi looked up at his friend. "So. Did you learn anything of use?"

"Maybe," Don said. "I think it depends on what the other guys found out."

"Then let us go and ask them. And on the way, you must continue to explain more of this innernet to me."

Don smiled. "Internet. I'd be happy to. But, on the way there, I'd like to make a few quick stops in the village."

"For what purpose, my friend?"

"Kind of like the internet. Research. And, if I'm lucky, a hint towards the answer."

-==OOO==-

"And to _nobody's_ surprise, this secure castle is looking _really secure_!" Michelangelo sighed.

"Hey, whoever killed the old Daimyo got in somehow," Raph answered, though he had stopped methodically checking every plank of wood and was now just sweeping his eyes along walls and floors and only examining windows. "And we gotta find it."

"Raph, in case you hadn't noticed, we're three floors up. Who's getting in from here? A bird?"

Sato Takeko crossed her arms. "Have you so little true ninja skill, Kame? For the ninja of this land can scale a wall as easily as a spider and with the same deadly intent."

"Hey, I could climb this wall with the best of them," Mikey replied, pouting. "But let's be realistic. If the windows were all closed and locked, unless somebody broke down a wall with nobody noticing, the problem's on the ground, not up here."

The samurai frowned at his tone, but nodded at his words. "As we all thought ourselves. And yet another dagger appeared, and still nothing was seen."

"So do you really think it's a ghost?" Raph asked, pausing his search to turn to the otter. "Something that doesn't need doors or walls?"

"Perhaps. Though, if that is the case, I fear even you Kame will not be of help to us. Unless you are demon-slayers as well as ninja."

Mikey grinned. "Well, as a matter of fact…"

Raph spoke up before his brother could launch into bragging, "We've met a few demons here and there, none we couldn't take down. But I'm really hoping our ghost is something flesh and blood that we can just fight."

"First you must find it," Sato said. "A feat which none have achieved so far, even Miyamoto Usagi."

Mikey bounced on his heels. "Yeah, but Usagi's no Battle Nexus – yikes!"

Raph raised an eye-ridge to the samurai and smiled. "Sorry about that. It slipped."

Mikey rubbed his head where Raphael had hit him square on the forehead with a thrown power-bar he'd kept in one of his belt pouches. Just to spite his brother, he ripped into it and ate it.

Sato's face unbent into something approaching approval. "You speak of Miyamoto-san with great familiarity."

Raph was surprised. "Is that considered rude here?"

She shook her head. "No. But it is uncommon for any to so closely befriend a ronin."

"Trust me, it's uncommon for people to befriend us, too," Raph told her. "Us outcasts gotta stick together."

"That may be true. The fact that he vouches for you speaks highly of your own honor and competence. Or that he is very foolish."

"No way," Mikey said, balling up the plastic wrapper and juggling it. "Usagi's way smart."

"I don't think that's what she means, shell-for-brains," Raph grumbled.

"Should you prove to be less than Miyamoto-san has said, his own honor and reputation will suffer. He has placed the blade of his sword at his own throat and your Clan has the holding of it. It is a great risk. No samurai but a ronin would dare speak to the honor of a ninja."

"Why?" Raph asked.

"A ronin has nothing to lose but his own honor. But a samurai may lose his influence, his lands, even his Lord's protection and favor. His family name could be tarnished." She raised an eyebrow at him. "You do not have samurai in your world?"

"Well, we did a long time ago. But Usagi is the first we ever met," Raph said.

"Then who rules your lands? Who maintains the dictates of honor?" Sato asked.

"Well, there are laws and a government. People are elected and they decide what's right and wrong. Anybody can run for office, no matter what family they come from. It's a democracy. Everybody decides" Raph fidgeted. He wished Don or Leo or even Master Splinter were here. Explaining modern governance to an otter from another world centuries behind was not a task he felt equipped to handle.

But Sato was already waving a hand dismissively. "In such a barbaric society where one of common ancestry may rule beside one of noble, perhaps even ninja may have honor. Nothing could be stranger than that."

"Oh, we've got lots of stranger stuff than democracy!" Mikey jumped in. "Like reality television!"

Raph leaned over. "Don't start. We'll be here all day and we've got more floors to check."

But it did make the time pass more quickly while Michelangelo tried to explain soap operas to Sato, and if Raphael was at least grateful that the samurai seemed to be warming to them, well, it was almost worth Mikey singing the theme song to "The Love Boat" for her.

Almost.

-==OOO==-

"I must admit, Honda-san," Leonardo said, "I didn't expect there to be so much, uh, authority in the hands of the samurai."

Honda Ryome nodded. "The Daimyo is the ultimate authority in this area, but much of the day-to-day control is held by myself and other samurai throughout the han. The Daimyo cannot be troubled with all the petty problems of the commoners, and especially in peaceful times, we samurai are well-able to assume this burden for our Lord. Particularly when he is in Edo, command falls to myself."

"That I understand," Leo said.

"You are chunin, then, of your own Clan?" Honda asked.

"Yes," Leo nodded. "Master Splinter is still head of the Clan, but especially when my brothers and I are in a fight somewhere else, they look to me."

Honda Ryome considered him for a moment. "Forgive me for saying so, but I have never before heard of a Kame Clan headed by one other than a kame."

"Master Splinter raised us by himself. He took in my brothers and I and taught us ninjutsu and Bushido and how to survive in our world." Leo glanced back towards the castle's keep as if he could feel his Sensei's presence. "In spite of our differences, he is still our father."

"Ah." Honda nodded and gave a slight smile. "I begin to see Miyamoto-san's perspective. You are different from other ninja, and you do know the meaning of honor."

"I try to. It isn't always easy, especially back in our world. It's...not like here."

"In what way, Hamato-san?"

"In my world, everyone is the same species except for us. Imagine if every town was filled only with people like yourself. Usagi would really stick out in a world full of you. He might even be feared as if he were a monster. He might be chased or hunted and would have to hide to survive."

Honda considered. "It is...difficult for me to imagine a world in which one could not walk openly. But perhaps in such a world of shadows, the way of the ninja is the only one available to those who are alone."

"Something like that."

"Then I hope you find your time here amongst us to be rewarding," Honda said. "Though ninja, if all your brothers are like you, Hamato-san, my warriors will give them the esteem they deserve. Yourself, at least. Though they will never entirely lose their suspicion of ninja. Too many are treacherous and foul."

Leo shrugged. "If ninja are universally bad here, being suspicious is probably a good idea. I just hope we can prove that we're different."

"Save the Daimyo and you will certainly prove at least that much."

Leo nodded, then swept his gaze over the area. Standing on the wall overlooking the peaceful lands and the town and the bright sky and distant horizon filled him with something he could scarcely name. It was like the freedom of near-flight running along rooftops, or training in the woods up at the farmhouse, but infinitely sweeter. Freedom from the Foot, freedom from having to hide for being turtles in a human world, freedom from living in the smelly underground.

But he forced himself to focus on the problem at hand.

"Honda-san, what do you think haunts the castle? Is it truly a ghost? Or a flesh-and-blood enemy remaining invisible?"

Honda Ryome was quiet for a moment before answering. "I do not know. The mysterious circumstances trouble me greatly. And yet…"

"What is it?"

The samurai let out a breath and faced Leo directly. "There is too much _reason_ for these attacks. Even if we are truly waging a battle against a demon or ghost or spirit creature, I believe its origin is entirely mortal and deliberate."

"You mean someone who wants to hurt the Daimyo might be behind sending a ghost to kill him?"

"Yes."

Leo seized onto the idea. "The Daimyo mentioned that he had a relative who would inherit his position should he die, the same as he inherited it from his brother. Is that who you mean?"

"Yes." Honda Ryome's jaw clenched. "The Daimyo has a younger half-brother by his father's second wife. There is some rumor that the ghost who killed the previous Daimyo is his very mother's spirit wrenched back to our world by dark sorcery."

Leo's eye-ridges rose. "Is that possible?"

"I do not know. I am no sorcerer," Honda said. "But if Shuo Katsu is even half as scheming and covetous as the rumors say he is, I have no doubt he would be capable of such evil."

"Hmm. Maybe we'll have to pay this Shuo Katsu a visit."

Then Leo's inner clock told him he was due back to meet up with his brothers. He bowed to the samurai.

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. Now I need to talk to my family to see what else they've found. Please excuse me."

Honda returned the bow politely. "I wish you good luck, Hamato-san. Ninja or not, I hope your family can succeed where all others have failed and spare Lord Kawauso his brother's fate."

"I hope so, too."

-==OOO==-

By the time Leo reached the chambers he would be sharing with his family, Raph and Mikey were already there unpacking the hastily-dropped backpacks and organizing their supplies. Five bedrolls had been pushed to the side in favor of using the mats provided by the Daimyo;s servants, and already they were taking on the personalities of the turtles to whom they belonged.

Raphael had pulled his mat into a corner near the door where he would hear anyone approaching the room and could jump up to defend it, his gear all piled between his mat and the wall where it would be out of his way. For all that, his pile wasn't exactly neat, but it was spread out so he could grab most things quickly without having to hunt for them.

Michelangelo had set his own up nestled between the mat for Master Splinter, upon which the rat was still meditating, and Donatello's, identifiable by the pile of technical gear left haphazardly all over the mat – likely by his helpful brothers rather than the turtle himself; Leo could almost hear Don complaining about this or that gadget crushed under the ration pack. Mikey's was no better, but his was strewn with stuff from his backpack as if he had been digging in it to find something and didn't care where his belongings went while flinging them about.

The pair had set up Leonardo's mat in front of the line of Splinter's, Mikey's, and Donnie's, so that if the door opened, his position would be the first revealed. Leo smiled very slightly in approval – Raph would be the secret guard in the blind-spot by the door, and Leo would take on whoever entered from the front with Mikey and Donnie behind to support him and protect Master Splinter. Leo was slightly less amused that his own pack had clearly been upended in another mess, but he was too cautious of interrupting his Sensei's meditation to yell about it.

Which did not prevent him from commenting on it more quietly.

" _Really_ , you guys?" he asked, crossing his arms and eyeing his pile.

"Hey Leo! What?" Mikey looked up from where he was crawling across his mat searching for something. He glanced at Leo's untidy set-up, his own, and Donnie's. "Oh! Sorry, dude. Just didn't want to, you know, step on your Fung Shui by putting something in the wrong place!"

"The wrong place is infinitely preferable to no place at all," came Master Splinter's voice. He opened his eyes and regarded his sons. Then he frowned. "I sense you have learned something, Leonardo."

Leo bowed slightly. "I have, Master Splinter. As soon as Donnie gets here…"

There was a tap on the doorframe behind him and he turned; the door was still half-open, revealing Donatello and Usagi peeking through.

"I'm here," Don said. Then he caught a glance of his things over Leo's shoulder. "Mikey! You know these instruments are delicate!"

Sitting in his corner, Raph chuckled.

Mikey groaned. "Aw, come on! Why does everybody blame me for everything?"

"Because it's usually your fault, shellhead," Raph said. "You're the doofus who dumped all the packs out."

"I was hungry! I wanted to figure out who brought the snacks. Other than me, of course, but I was hoping to save my stash until later."

"No snacks this trip, Mikey," Leo said firmly. "There wasn't room for junk food."

"But! But! Leo, I'll starve!" Michelangelo tipped backwards into his bed dramatically as though he had been fatally stabbed, only to land on his chaotic pile of gear. "Ouch!"

Master Splinter reached over calmly and removed the shuriken that had poked his youngest son in the thigh. "In this case, Michelangelo, you have literally made this bed in which you must lie."

"Aw…"

At the doorway, Usagi smiled but turned to Leo. "Should I leave your family in privacy?"

"No point," Raph said, getting to his feet from the corner. "You got us into this mess, Usagi, so you might as well hang around. You'll want to know what we found out anyway, right?"

"True, but I do not wish to intrude."

Leo smiled. "Don't worry about it. We're the guests in your world, Usagi. You're welcome with us if you want to stay."

"Dude, run while you can," Mikey said, shuffling things from his mat so he could sit. "Once Leo gets going with his patented Long-Winded Strategy Speak, you're gonna regret sticking around."

Leo frowned at Mikey, missing Raph barely suppressing a laugh. Then he turned to the far corner of the room. "Don? You ready to talk about what you found out."

"Sure," Don said, having in the few minutes of bickering quickly sorted his own gear into usable piles to either side of his mat by some logic known only to himself. "But you guys go first."

"I agree," Usagi said, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. "Our information is suggestive, but not conclusive. Perhaps paired with your insights, we may find we have found greater success than we previously realized."

"I sure hope so," Raph said, "because Mikey and I came up empty. We walked every external wall and window and nothing bigger than a flea is finding a way in here. The windows are all nailed shut and there's those prayer scrolls in every room."

Leo frowned. "So we're really dealing with a ghost?"

"Not necessarily," Don spoke up. "It could still be an inside job, or else someone who can sneak in during the day and wait until it gets dark to strike."

"Such is not impossible," Splinter said. "The keep has many small hiding places, particularly for a skilled ninja."

"We'll check those next," Leo said. "In the meantime, Honda Ryome gave me a possible suspect with motive to be behind all this – the Daimyo's younger half-brother."

"Knock off the Daimyo and take over?" Mikey asked. "Isn't that a little cliché?"

Raph grunted. "Since when have supervillains worried about being original?"

"We don't know he's a villain yet," Leo said. "We don't know much about him at all. Honda Ryome said there were rumors that he isn't exactly honorable, but that's not enough evidence to be sure of anything. We'll have to check him out ourselves."

"Perhaps," Splinter said, "if we correctly identify the hand behind the blade, we may learn how the blade is wielded."

Leo turned to Donatello and Usagi. "What did you guys find out?"

"Nothing to contradict any hypothesis, anyway," Don said. "The priest confirmed that his ofuda should hold any normal ghosts at bay, which makes me think we're missing something here. And Usagi and I went through the village talking to a few people. Nobody's seen any strangers around except for us that could correspond to someone sneaking in."

"Of course," Usagi put in, "if they were truly ninja, they may not have been easily seen."

Don nodded. "There's that. I also asked a few people for local ghost stories to see if this was something familiar from the past, but no such luck. If it is a ghost, nobody can explain where it came from or why it suddenly appeared."

"And what about the body?" Leo asked.

Here, Donatello frowned. "There's something bugging me about it, but I can't put my finger on it. If I could've gotten a blood sample or even a look at it, I might be able to do something. At least be able to tell you if the former Daimyo was really killed through supernatural means or not."

"But what do you think?" Leo asked. He had his own suspicions, but he knew Donatello had a unique gift for taking disparate parts and turning them around and around in his mind until they fit together.

Donatello hesitated for a moment before he sighed. "Honestly, I think I might be going down the wrong trail just because I don't want it to be mystical. It would be so much easier if this was a real person with a real weapon. But I can't get past that kunai in the doorframe over Usagi's head. It shouldn't be possible without magic."

"You are correct, Donatello-san," Usagi said. "Whatever the sinister powers behind all this, that much at least is almost certainly the work of something not of the living."

"So what now, Fearless?" Raph asked.

"I think we need to double-check that the keep is secure and this time look for any hiding places that could conceal a ninja who got in when the guard was lower during the day. Tighten up all those spots so there's nowhere for a flesh-and-blood person to hide. Then I think we need to go find the Daimyo's half-brother and see what we can learn about him. If he's a suspect, the sooner we figure out his game, the better. And if he isn't, the sooner we eliminate him, the more time we'll have before the New Moon."

"I will see if I can find someone who knows where the Daimyo's half-brother lives that I may determine how far away it is and how to get there," Usagi offered. "However, my vow to protect Lord Kawauso means I cannot travel with you. Already I have stretched the terms of my employ by being absent so long to fetch you."

"That's okay. If you can give us a map, we'll be fine on our own," Leo said.

Usagi bowed his head and turned to leave. "I will find you before the evening meal is served that you do not have to eat alone," he said.

"Sounds good. See you then!" Leo turned back to his family. "Come on. Let's see if there's any hiding places the guards have missed."

Raphael and Michelangelo joined him quickly, but Donatello returned to his pile of equipment before lifting a small item and stowing it in the front of his haori.

"What's that for, Donnie?" Mikey asked.

"While we're looking for hiding places, I figured I'd sweep the area for any interdimensional particles, just to make sure we're not dealing with a world-hopper or something. I don't know for sure if it will pick up ghosts, given their assumed quantum structure may be beyond the ability of this thing to read, but it's worth a try."

"You just don't want to stick your head in any dark corners," Raph teased.

Don waggled his eye-ridges at him with a smirk. "Guess you'll have to do it for me, bro."

"Good luck, my sons," Splinter said, closing his eyes to return to meditation.

"This is just, like, so familiar," Mikey said as he followed his brothers into the hallway. "Poking our noses into every room and staring at walls. It's like we just did this. Oh, wait! We did!"

"Just for that, Mikey, you get to stick your head in the first dark cabinet we find," Raph told him.

"But what if there's a ghost in there?"

"Remember, spooks are probably more scared of you than you are of them!" Donnie said cheerfully.

Michelangelo frowned. "I thought that was snakes, not spooks!" Then, "Wait! What if there really _are_ snakes in there!?"

"Then you won't have to worry about ghosts," Donatello replied with a wink to Raphael.

"Really funny," Mikey grumbled at them.

He continued grumbling for the next few hours while the four turtles tromped all over the castle keep, peeking into every possible hiding space a ninja might use – and several they figured no ninja ever would, but they were trying to be thorough. Michelangelo did not, in fact, stick his head into anything with either snakes or a ghost, but he did find a spectacular cobweb inhabited by dozens of moths. His shrieks could be heard all over the castle and six samurai came running only to glower at the orange-banded turtle running in circles screaming "Get them off! Get them off!" while his brothers tried to help him.

In the end, all four were frustrated and tired – and no farther ahead in unraveling the mystery. Leonardo reported several clever hiding places to Honda Ryome, but they had found no evidence of anyone concealing themselves within the keep. Donatello's search with his sensor had also failed. The only interdimensional signature came from themselves.

"So, we're down to either a real ghost or a traitor," Raphael said when they had returned to their guest room.

"Either way, I still think we should check out this brother guy," Michelangelo said. "Every ghost story I ever read had some angry person out for revenge, or an angry ghost out for revenge. And nobody else seems to be mad enough at the Daimyo except the guy who isn't Daimyo because of him."

"I don't know if that's accurate," Donatello said, bringing up the rear. "For all we know, there could be a dozen other Daimyo who want to take over this particular han, or a warrior who wants revenge for some kind of slight. We don't really know that much about these people. Only what we've been told."

"That's true," Leonardo conceded, dipping his head in greeting to Splinter. "But Honda-san seems pretty sure it's the half-brother."

"And for all we know, it could be Honda Ryome behind it himself," Raph said. "I know you like the guy and all, but Donnie's got a point. We really don't know anything about anyone here."

"Usagi does," Leo defended his friend. "And if he doesn't have any other ideas, then I think we should trust the honorable people around here who know best."

Mikey blinked. "Since when does Mister Paranoid Fearless Leader trust anybody's word at the drop of a hat?"

"Since we came to a world that operates on the principles of honor and the code of Bushido!"

Raphael answered Leo's half-shout with one of his own. "You and your Bushido! You know what, Leo? People lie! Or did you forget about the time Shredder tried to recruit you by telling you he was honorable, too!"

"My sons." Splinter's voice cracked between them as if he had struck the floor with his walking stick. "Your points are equally valid. Leonardo, you should not be so quick to trust strangers who speak of honor but whose true character you have not yet seen. And yet because we are ignorant of much in this world, we have no choice but to rely upon those who have greater experience."

"So what do we do now, Sensei?" Mikey asked. Raph and Leo were busy glaring at one another and Donatello was rolling his eyes at them both.

Splinter rose gracefully to his feet, plucking his walking stick from before his mat.

"For now, my sons, we join Usagi for dinner and discuss our options. Quietly." His eyes landed on each of them. "While the greatest threat is of course to Lord Kawauso, I sense darkness gathering around us. We must all be more cautious in giving our trust while in this world."

"Yes, Master Splinter," the four turtles recited together.

"Good. Now, I perceive that the evening meal is upon us, so we shall turn our focus to our next option."

A knock on the door prevented any of the turtles from asking. Raphael was closest, so he slid it open to reveal Usagi.

"Greetings, my friends. The soldiers and samurai are gathering to eat. I believe that will be a more comfortable atmosphere for all of you than a place at the Daimyo's table."

"Good idea," Raph said. "We ain't really up on fancy table manners."

Mikey grinned. "Yeah! We're still teaching Raph how to chew with his mouth closed!"

Raph rounded on him. "At least I never tried to lick my plate clean – literally!"

"Sure you did!"

"Did not!"

Usagi grimaced. "Then this is certainly the correct course of action. Some of the soldiers are...rather uncouth. I believe they will more easily forgive any lapses of decorum."

Splinter moved between his sons to face the rabbit ronin. "Good. For I fear we may have a few." He glanced at the feuding pair.

Usagi led the way from the keep to an open area between a few of the buildings closer to the edge of the defensive wall. The door of one was thrown open, and the scent of roasting meat wafted on the air. Inside were several tables, crowded with fighters in various configurations of armor, from fully dressed to wearing only the kimono from beneath their samurai uniform. Several others had taken seats outside on benches, enjoying the warm, clear evening.

The turtles did not fail to notice how conversation stilled as they passed by, nor the wary looks that followed them. But Usagi carried himself as though no one were sneering at himself or his friends. He led them to where they could claim bowls of steaming noodles and fresh vegetables and a few strips of meat before settling at a table in the corner of the room. Almost at once, the nearest warriors rose from their places and moved outside, clearing a wide margin around the strangers.

"I don't think we needed to worry about decorum after all," Don said, glancing around at the rapidly emptying space.

Usagi poured tea from a large pot and passed cups to his friends with small ceremony. "Please do not concern yourselves. When word spreads of your honor and skill, you will be received more warmly."

"We are not troubled." Splinter accepted his cup of tea with a slight bow. "We are a possible threat to the Daimyo, and their caution is understandable. Besides, such avoidance may offer us some advantage in privacy."

"You are wise, Master Splinter," Usagi said. "And it is well, for I do have some information for you."

While the turtles ate, holding their bowls high and using their chopsticks to shovel food into their mouths with brisk efficiency, Usagi carefully cleared the center of their table with the sweep of a hand and unrolled a coarse scroll.

"As these lands are not very familiar to me, I was obliged to find a scribe who could make me a map to find the Daimyo's half-brother. Our advantage is that he lives in a small estate which should be neither well-guarded nor difficult to find from the main road to the east."

"What's the bad news?" Leo asked between mouthfuls.

"The 'bad news,' as you put it, is that the journey is longer than I had hoped. Do any of you know how to ride?"

"Sure," Raph shrugged. "We can ride motorcycles, bikes, boats, cars, alien hover-platforms…"

"Horses?" Usagi asked.

"Not so much."

"Then it will take you approximately four days of walking to reach your destination."

"Four days!" Mikey almost dropped his bowl; as it was, he flopped some noodles onto Donatello's shoulder with his wild flailing. "Shell! That's like walking halfway to Philly!"

Don frowned at him. "Actually, it's more like walking from the lair to more than twice the length of Manhattan _past_ Philly assuming optimal conditions and a steady pace over about eight hours per day."

"Four days," Leo said. "If we go to investigate Shuo Katsu, that means we would be gone for at least eight days."

"But the ghost doesn't come back for fifteen days. We could be there and back with time to spare," Donatello said.

"I know, but...I'm not sure I like the idea of leaving the Daimyo." Leo gave a small sigh. "Now that we've agreed to help, it feels like we should actually stay and help."

"I thought you wanted to go after this guy?" Raph asked.

"Well, I want to investigate him, sure. But I didn't realize it would take us so far away from here."

"Hey, if it's a dud, that still gives us a week to find the real bad guy before things go south, right?" Mikey asked. "Besides, a road trip sounds fun to me!"

"A road trip we'll be walking?" Don asked, raising an eye-ridge.

"Well...that part's not so fun. And here I thought Japan was the land of mass transit. Where's a train when you need one?"

Raph leaned over and poked his brother. "First of all, this ain't our Japan. And second, we're a few hundred years too soon."

"What do you think, Master Splinter?" Leo asked.

Their Sensei studied the map for a moment, then met Leonardo's eyes. "I, too, am discomfited at the idea of wandering so far from the one we have agreed to protect. However, I do not see a ready alternative. Additionally, there may be no other way to eliminate Lord Kawauso's half-brother as a suspect without making the journey. And in that case, my son, better to go sooner and be certain to return before you are needed."

"Before _we're_ needed, right Sensei?" Donatello asked.

But Master Splinter shook his head. "I'm afraid not. A journey of eight days walking is not one I am suited for and I do not wish to slow you down. If you go, I will remain here with Usagi and guard the Daimyo in your absence."

Leo let out a breath. "Well, then I guess we're going."

The conversation shifted from strategic to tactical, the turtles pressing Usagi for any information that might help them on their journey including how to know which water was safe to drink, what sorts of people they might encounter, and what threats might lie in wait. The ronin, having spent the vast majority of his recent years wandering, was able to provide many details to give the turtles some idea what to expect. It would not be the first time, nor probably the last time, that the family had set out in a strange world with almost nothing but their wits to guide them, but they were grateful for any insight they could get from their friend.

While his brothers picked Usagi's brain, Mikey slurped his food and watched. He was paying attention – sort of – but mostly he was keeping himself entertained with his inner monologue.

 _Usagi's like a lifeboat here the way Professor Honeycutt was when we got zapped to D'Hoonib_. _And this is way better than D'Hoonib, even though we didn't have to hide there, either, because duh – aliens! But here we can breathe, which helps, and it's not that different from the Battle Nexus with all the traditional warrior honorable kick-shell-iness._

_And they loved me in the Battle Nexus. After we save the day and get declared heroes and everything, I wonder if I can get them to set up a tournament so I can beat Raph again and earn a whole new set of admirers!_

_Every new dimension is just another chance to rub Raph's beak in my Ultimate Victory!_

Around the same time the Hamato family and Usagi began receiving impatient looks from the servers, Usagi declared that he had some business in town before the castle gates were locked for the night and bid them farewell, promising to see them off in the morning.

Without Usagi walking beside them as they returned to their rooms in the keep, the turtles received several more openly disparaging looks from the guards they passed. However, obviously word was spreading, for several of the guards dipped their heads respectfully to Master Splinter and Leonardo, and a few even gave a slight nod to Raphael. Michelangelo was effectively invisible; Donatello, therefore, got the chilliest, most disdainful reception.

"I'm sorry, Donnie," Leo said once the family was inside their room with the door closed and ninja senses confirming no one was nearby to listen. "They're not warming to you very much."

"Eh, give them time. I've known you since birth and I'm not always sure about you either, bro," Raph said, elbowing him.

But Donatello knew Raph's humor for what it was and elbowed him back. "Likewise, Raph. And I'm gonna remember you said that the next time your bike needs servicing."

Raph frowned. "That's a low blow."

"Then it's just right for you!" Mikey put in gleefully.

Leo tried to yank the conversation back on track. " _Anyway_ , I'm not sure this whole plan is going to work after all. We wanted them to forget to watch Don, not glare at him all the time."

"On the other hand," Don said, "they're not paying that much attention to what I'm actually doing. Mostly they look at me long enough to be disgusted and then look away. And it's not just me they're glaring at, either. I just get more of it."

"Well, by the time we're done here, they're gonna look at you differently," Raph said. "They might think you're a dork, but they won't think you're lower than scum."

"Thanks, I think."

"My sons." Splinter tapped the floor lightly with his walking stick. "Let us worry not about how others may perceive us and instead prepare ourselves for the task ahead."

"Right. If we're walking for eight days, we need to trim down the packs," Leo said. "Weapons and survival gear _only_." He glared at Mikey. "No comics or snacks or whatever else you've got crammed in there." Then he looked to Don. "And bring as little equipment as you can stand."

As firm as his words, however, Leo didn't actually monitor his brothers as they all turned to their piles and began sorting. No matter how he sounded, he did actually trust them to know how to pack to survive an eight-day walk with the weight on their backs. Well, he trusted Raph and Donnie; Mikey might try to sneak extra things, but the things he would bring would be superfluous and if the pack proved a problem, Leo would cheerfully leave the excess behind in a ditch.

Michelangelo actually knew that, too, so he hadn't brought much he couldn't part with into Usagi's world in the first place; for this journey, he pared what he had brought down to exactly one comic and one bag of chips – _Practically weightless!_ he thought happily – and left the rest shoved against a wall.

"You should all rest yourselves tonight, for you will have to set a watch when you are on the road," Splinter advised. "Therefore I bid you go to bed as soon as you are prepared for the morning. A full night of sleep tonight will aid you when you must be more wary tomorrow."

This, too, his sons knew from practical, sometimes painful experience, so they just nodded and accepted his advice.

Splinter watched his sons with a fond smile, each arranging their bags and their belongings to their liking before settling down on the Daimyo's sleeping mats; the bedrolls were still strapped tightly and could be fastened to the backpacks in the morning. When most of the activity – and commentary – had slowed, he rose to extinguish the candles that lit the room.

"I will guard us this night, my sons. Sleep well."

"Good night, Master Splinter," they chorused.

Nearest the door, Splinter did not fail to notice the sai in Raphael's hand, nor his posture that would allow him to spring up in an attack before even waking fully should a threat present itself. In front of the door, Leonardo slept with his blades unsheathed and well within reach. In his spot behind Leonardo, Michelangelo was trying in the rapidly vanishing light to read just one more page of his comic book, but eventually gave up with a sigh and a wave to Splinter before he curled up to sleep; his own nunchaku were still tucked in his belt.

In the corner, however, a pale green glow betrayed Donatello's continuing work with his electronics.

Splinter extinguished the last candle and padded silently to his final son's side.

"Donatello?" he asked in a voice softer than a whisper.

"I know," Donatello replied. "I just want to see if these work out here."

"You need your rest, my son."

"Soon, father. I promise." And he continued to fiddle with the device in his hands.

Splinter moved to his own mat and sat, settling into meditation posture. He would meditate for a time and allow Donatello to complete whatever he thought was so important; if he found Donatello still at work in an hour by his inner count, however, he would take additional steps. His son, all his sons, could be trusted to a point.

But all four of his turtles would forgo rest or food or the very air if it would serve and protect their family better – this Splinter knew in the depths of his heart. It was a source of great pride and continuing frustration. For how could he forbid that which might be the saving of all, even if it did cause one son to worry, to lose sleep, to risk injury?

 _In this strange land, may that watchful loyalty and self-sacrifice keep us all safe no matter the trouble that lies in wait_ , Splinter prayed.

Just four minutes before his deadline, Splinter sensed Donatello finally stop his fiddling and settle on his own mat to sleep. Even in meditation, he smiled slightly.

_Sleep, my son. Join your brothers in rest. And know that each night until you return to me, I will listen to your spirits should you seek me in your dreams._

* * *

__


	4. Halo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter contains a whole bunch of references to TMNT 3, aka the worst TMNT movie ever (except maybe that live tour thingy with rock music). My beta calls this my attempt to redeem that third movie. I'm not sure it's that, exactly. Rather, it was part me wanting to use some of the good lines/jokes/images from that movie (which I irrationally like even though it's terrible), and part me using the movie's setup as a launching pad for further developments. Anyway, if you're an original TMNT fan, here's your TMNT 3 shout-out.
> 
> (To the commenter who is only logged in as Guest, I left you a reply which I hope you will read. Thanks!)
> 
> Enjoy!

In the morning, the four turtles rose and gathered up their belongings when roused by their Sensei before dawn. They met Usagi near the castle gate just as the sun began to paint the world in golden colors.

"Good morning, friends. I did not know if you would begin so early."

"Normally, we wouldn't, but we want to get moving," Leo said, bowing to him.

Behind him, Donatello was yawning and rubbing his eyes, but he managed a smile. Michelangelo, not a morning person, was attempting to sleep while walking, forcing Donatello to drag him along. Raphael – even less a morning person – was glaring bloody, painful murder at anyone who so much as glanced in his direction.

Of course, his foul mood could also be due to the fact that he'd been woken up by Leo's foot in his side. But, as Leo pointed out when Raph started to rage, anything less subtle had already failed. And nobody wanted to let Mikey wake Raph. _Nobody_.

Not if they wanted to start this journey without anybody breaking anybody else's bones.

"They will unlock the gates shortly," Usagi said. "I will go with you as far as the village. There is someone I want you to meet, if she is awake so early."

She was. When the turtles and Splinter followed Usagi down the road and into the quiet paths that wound throughout the town, they found one young female otter whose fur was a deep, almost red color. She bowed as they approached.

"Good morning, Akako-san," Usagi said as he bowed as well. "These are my friends, the honorable Kame ninja Hamato Clan."

Akako bowed to the turtles and Splinter. "Good morning. I am Akako. Miyamoto-san spoke to me last night about helping to make proper kimono for you."

"She is the finest seamstress in the village," Usagi said. "And the Daimyo has already agreed to give her the material, so she should be able to complete them by the time you return."

Splinter bowed to her. "Thank you for your assistance. My sons and I would be grateful for your efforts, I am sure."

Akako's black eyes swept the group. "I have never made kimono for a Kame before, but I shall do my best."

"I'm sure your best will be more than we could ask for," Leonardo told her with a smile. "We'll try not to ruin your hard work when you finish."

"I would appreciate that, Kame-san." She smiled wryly in return before bowing and heading off in the opposite direction.

"She doesn't need to measure us?" Donatello asked when she had passed.

Splinter looked at him. "My son, what you can estimate at a glance of your metal and computer code, an experienced craftsmaster can estimate just as easily. Whatever she returns to us, we will not want for a better fit."

"Wow," Mikey said with a yawn. "Wish I'd had her around when I was making my Turtle Titan costume."

"Me, too," Raph grumbled. "Then it mighta looked decent."

Mikey was too asleep still to retaliate properly, but he stuck out his tongue around another yawn.

"Now, my sons. Go quickly and come back as soon as you can," Splinter said. "Hopefully with some answers to this grave puzzle that surrounds us."

"Be well, my friends," Usagi said. "I wish you safe travels."

"We'll see you in eight days." Leo bowed. "We won't fail you. Either of you."

Splinter and Usagi exchanged smiles.

"I would never doubt it," the ronin said.

Usagi and Splinter watched as the four turtles headed down the road that would lead them to their destination. Leonardo strode in front, with Donatello just beside him, shaking his head as he woke up. Behind them, Michelangelo bounced into Raphael who alternately tried to slug him and growled at him. But in spite of the early morning, the four still moved as one, straight and proud and united.

"I hope they are successful," Usagi said as they rounded a turn in the road and vanished into the forest beyond the town.

Splinter's heart ached in that familiar way that had come to him every time his sons set out from his sight, every time he did not know if they would return.

"So do I, my friend. So do I."

-==OOO==-

The first day of walking passed uneventfully after all four turtles were fully awake – and after revenge had been wrought for any and all goofiness until that point. Though Leo was still cleaning pond scum off his shell an hour later, and Mikey wouldn't walk within four yards of him.

But that was nothing new.

What was new was the ease that had fallen over all four. They were well used to being in the wild from their time up at the Northampton house owned by Casey's family. However, even in the remote upstate forest, the turtles had always needed to practice a certain amount of caution. They'd had more than enough visitors over the years to prove that that the secluded house wasn't without unexpected humans wandering through.

But here, even if there were humans in Usagi's world, they didn't have that sort of fear. They might be attacked by bandits or they might accidentally trespass against a social norm, but they would not be hunted merely for existing. They had to be wary of possible threats, but not of being seen.

And when the four brothers had spent so long looking over their shoulders, checking every possible angle to ensure they were out of sight of windows or security cameras or passersby, the freedom of walking openly under the sun was nearly intoxicating.

Even walking the entire day couldn't take away the easy relief of not having to hide. All four brothers practically hummed with contentment. The day felt less like a mission and more like a vacation.

At nightfall, however, they had to pull back their enthusiasm slightly. They found a clearing somewhat off the road and set up camp, building a fire and eating a few of the instant, powdered foods they had carried with them. And though Leo never turned his back on the shadows of the forest and Raph sat so he could see where Leo had a blind spot and even Mikey kept his humor to a dull roar and Don rigged a few simple traps around their perimeter, they were still at ease.

"It's kinda sad," Raph finally remarked, "that the worst case scenario is we get jumped by either thugs or some kind of rival ninja. It just ain't the same when we don't have to watch out for every John and Jane Doe who comes by."

"That's a good thing, Raph," Leo said.

"Nah, I miss Jane Doe. She laughs at my jokes!" Mikey grinned.

Donnie nudged him. "That's what imaginary friends are good for, I guess."

And contentment reigned. Even when they set up the watch schedule, it was still cheerful and easy and friendly. Leonardo opted for the morning shift, since he was the turtle least likely to die from two extra-early mornings in a row. Raph opted for first watch, since he hated being woken up in the middle of the night. Michelangelo and Donatello didn't care which of them took the midnight shifts and Raph said he'd wake up whichever of them was snoring the loudest when his turn ended.

Mikey warned Raph that if he snored like a chainsaw again, he'd wake up with his head stuffed in a tree. But they knew he wouldn't – in the field, no matter how safe and secure it seemed, even Raph would sleep in ninja silence just in case.

But the night passed uneventfully. In the morning, the four turtles cleaned up their campsite at what Michelangelo termed their fourth best speed.

"Fourth best?" Don asked him.

"Sure!" Mikey grinned. "Best speed is the oh-shell-there's-monsters-surrounding-us speed. Second best is there-might-be-monsters-around-any-corner speed."

"There's no corners in a forest," Leo pointed out.

Mikey stuck out his tongue. "Third best is Leo-got-a-bug-up-his-shell-and-wants-to-move-out-right-this-minute speed. This is let's-get-moving-but-we-can-actually-fold-our-blankets-first speed."

"Not that you've ever folded anything in your life," Raph said.

"True. But Leo and Don did."

Leo actually huffed a laugh. "He's got a point. Well, in the spirit of the fourth-fastest speed, let's get moving."

All four turtles, backpacks in place, returned to the road and returned to their easy walking pace. The sun was bright overhead, dew glistened on the leaves of trees, and a soft wind was blowing.

Raph looked at the little stream that ran along the path beside them and gave a deep sigh. "Hey, Leo. Look at this water."

"I don't see anything."

" _Exactly_. No tires, no beer cans, no dead fish. Just – water. Clean, clear water." He heaved in a deep breath. "Ah, nature. I _love_ it. Makes me wanna, I dunno. Migrate. Or something."

Donatello laughed. "Turtles don't migrate, Raph. Birds do!"

"Hey, I got a beak, don't I?" Raph shot back with a grin.

"No, the _rest_ of us have beaks. What you have belongs on the face of one of those pink birds that eat shrimp," MIkey put in.

"Flamingos?" Don asked.

"Yeah! Those!"

"What _you're_ gonna have is a headache if you say that again!" Raph threatened. But even so, there was a deep serenity in the shadows of his expression that made his threat sound fond rather than furious.

"I know what you mean," Leo said, skillfully ignoring the rest of his brothers' antics. "I noticed it when I came here before. It's...like paradise, isn't it?"

"Well, not exactly," Donatello said.

"Why? No computers?" Raph asked.

"Obviously. Besides, how could it be paradise without you having your Shell Cycle?" he shot back.

Raph dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Good point, Donnie-boy. But just imagine biking out here!"

"I don't think the locals would take too well to a motorcycle," Leo said. "They're still getting used to the idea of honorable ninja."

"They'd probably think you were some kind of monster," Mikey said. "So at least they'd be partially right."

 _It never ends_ , Leo thought as he watched the continuing banter between Raph and Mikey. _Good times or bad, they never quit_. He shot a smile across to Donatello who grinned in response; he could tell his purple-banded brother was thinking something similar. _I'm glad. It wouldn't be the same without this._

-==OOO==-

At the end of their second day on the road, the turtles found a secluded spot at the base of a cliff that was obviously used regularly as an overnight camp for travelers. The rock walls of the cliff curved in a lopsided half-circle which provided shelter from the wind and there was even a slight overhang that would have staved off rain as well.

But the best part was that the cliff ran near to a broad, shallow stream.

"Last turtle in hatched from a rotten egg!" Mikey cheered. He dropped his pack in the crevice, tore out of his dusty hakama and haori, and bolted straight into the water, yelping from both surprise and relief at the cold water on his tired muscles.

Two days of walking was enough to make even the most energetic turtle sore.

Over the course of the next hour, all four brothers managed to get thoroughly soaked. It wasn't deep enough for diving, but in the center of the stream the four turtles could only just touch the bottom which gave them plenty of room to swim and float. And after two days on the road, being able to wash off the dust and sweat and cool the heat of the sun was blissful. They even brought their clothing into the river to rinse it off and stretched out the four sets of slightly-improved traditional apparel on sun-warmed rocks to dry.

Later, as they lit a fire and huddled around it in still damp pads and masks, the night air brisk but not so much as to be dangerous for their cold-blooded natures, they stared up at the endless sky of stars above.

"We should do more of this stuff," Raph said. "Camping's not so bad."

"Where there aren't people, anyway," Leo said, poking the fire with a stick.

"We need a retreat like Superman where nobody but us can get to and we can just...commune," Michelangelo said.

"We've got one, doofus. It's called the lair." Donatello shook his head. "Besides, wasn't Superman's hideout made of ice? That's not really my definition of luxurious."

"Maybe we can come back again," Leo said. "After we're done here. The next time we need a break, maybe we should come here for a while instead of going to the farm."

"I could handle that," Raph said, tipping all the way back to lean against the rock wall. "Be nice to have a place we could go where we don't have to live like moles."

"Hey, if you've got it, flaunt it – and you've got it, Raphie-boy!"

Raph raised an eye-ridge. "You sayin' I look like a mole, Mikey?"

"Just from your bad side. Except you don't have a good side, so I guess it's just all mole-side!"

Leonardo yawned. "If I weren't so beat...I'd think about beating you both."

"Sure ya would, Fearless."

"You okay with first watch, Raph?" Don asked as he banked up the fire.

"Yeah, yeah. You guys get cozy. I'll wake you for second, brainiac."

"Why not me?" Mikey asked.

"Because when I woke you last night, you drooled on me!"

"And so now you want me to drool on Donnie instead?"

"Donnie has a bo and can poke you from a safe distance."

Donatello grinned. "I'll do that. Thanks for the heads-up."

Raph smirked. "No problem, bro."

Michelangelo huffed with great indignance and flopped into his bedroll with as much drama as he could manage. "I'm gonna get both of you while you're sleeping."

He never got the chance.

It was nearing the end of Donatello's watch when he felt his skin prickle. Normally he might have assumed it was nothing but the breeze playing tricks on his senses, but a moment later he heard the distinctive sound of a foot slipping against the gloppy mud that lined the riverbank.

The fire had long since faded to nothing but coals too dim to light the little crevice in which the turtles had taken shelter.

The crevice that was now a dead-end where they were cornered.

Donatello slipped into the shadows and moved silently to where his brothers had curled up behind the fire and against the cliff at the back of the niche. Starting with Leo, he set his hand on Leo's right ankle and shook twice.

It was a signal established years prior. Two shakes meant "wake silently because we've got serious trouble." Waking trained ninja within range of weapons was always risky, so they'd gotten in the habit of using ankles rather than shoulders when more than once someone woke ready to fight right into the face of the brother doing the waking.

Donatello didn't even wait to feel Leo rise – he knew Leo would be up, swords drawn, and already watching his back while he moved to Raph and Mikey. And no matter how grumbly Raph was normally to wake from a sound sleep, or how silly Mikey acted in general, neither would fail to be the ninja their family needed when there was trouble.

In seconds, all four turtles were up, armed, wide awake – and annoyed.

In the dim light cast only by the moon reflecting off the stream, Raph's face said it all: _Whoever crashed our party is going to be really, really sorry._

Leonardo raised a fist, then pointed upwards. His brothers nodded, understanding his plan. Though already well-concealed by shadows, they dropped farther back and vanished entirely.

A few moments later, the first shape appeared at a full charge from around the left edge of the crevice, followed by more than a dozen others. But the charge ended abruptly at the line of abandoned bedrolls.

"Where'd they go?" demanded a bighorn ram in a deep voice. He turned to his allies.

The menagerie of different species milled around at the mouth of the niche, eyes sweeping the shadows for motion. They were all wearing somewhat ragged, ill-kept clothing and mismatched pieces of armor, but their weapons were keen. Tellingly, most of them wore short blades – blades which were illegal for any peasant not born into the samurai class to bear.

But bandits cared little for what was or was not legal.

"Maybe they were ghosts!" came a shout from the group.

"Idiot!" the ram barked. "Ghosts wouldn't leave behind belongings. They must have heard us and run off. Which means their stuff is ours!"

He took a step forward.

And four turtles dropped from above like silent comets streaking down.

The ram jerked backwards an inch from Leonardo's kick, yelling incoherently. But the bandits quickly overcame their shock and resumed their attack.

Leonardo battled the bighorn ram with only about two-thirds of his attention. The rest was focused on his brothers and making sure they were okay. The surprise had given them an advantage, and it had unnerved their opponents, which made the ragged group slower and less confident.

However, they hadn't improved their tactical situation much by retreating partway up the cliff. The four turtles were still backed into a corner, although now they controlled the terms. Because their clothing had been drying when they went to sleep, they were unimpeded by the unfamiliar wardrobe and fully able to take full advantage of their ninja skills. And they could always go back up the rock-face if they needed a retreat.

But Leo had no intention of retreating and leaving their supplies in enemy hands unless he and his brothers were well and truly in danger of defeat.

To his left, Donatello was using his bo to keep nearly a third of the bandits at bay, closing off the entire left flank and forcing those bandits who didn't dare get too close to crowd into a narrower area more easily covered by the other three turtles. Leo was handling the bandit leader, so most of the pack who evaded Donatello were splitting themselves against Raphael and Michelangelo.

"You're gonna pay for waking me up just to stomp your ugly faces in!" Raphael was half-growling, half-yelling. What he lacked in reach he more than made up for in sheer brutal strength, slamming the knuckle of a sai into a face and letting the body fall into the pile that was making it even harder for the others to reach him.

"Yeah! Raph needs all the beauty sleep he can get!" Mikey laughed. And while he bounced off the right side of the deep niche as part of his usual acrobatics, that plus his whirling nunchaku further limited the angles of the group, keeping the bandits from getting around behind his other brothers and forcing them to fight only one or two at a time while the others crowded behind.

"You walked right into that one, Raph!" Donatello called from the other side.

"Speaking of walking into things, think fast Donnie!" Mikey gave only the barest warning before a bandit was airborne and on its way across their formation.

Leo caught the ram's blade on his own and spared a split-second to make sure Donatello could handle the incoming threat, but Don was already shifting his position. He hit Mikey's bandit with a hard swing that sent the body into the nearest crowd getting too close to his off-hand side and they all went down with a crash.

Still, Leo didn't like Don being so exposed on the end like that. Even though the bandits were dwindling, one of the biggest, an ox, had stopped trying to get to Raph and instead was sprinting over to the gap Don had to leave on his left or else risk hitting the wall and either breaking the bo or his grip on it.

Leo's eyes narrowed when he saw the ox getting ready to make his move. In that moment, the ram leader of the bandits stopped being an opponent to be defeated and became nothing but an obstacle between Leonardo and one of his brothers who needed backup.

And, like any other obstacle that would have tried to keep Leo from reaching his brothers in time, this one was going down hard, fast, and unconditionally.

Leo dropped his guard and let the ram swing at the obvious opening he left; when the bandit did as expected, Leo exploded from the ground in a brutal snap kick that actually broke the ram's sword and probably his wrist. But before he could even exclaim in pain, Leo's follow-through landed a phoenix punch on the soft place underneath the ram's jaw where the horns and armor left a chink. Leo felt flesh buckle under his fist and he sprang away before the bighorn had even fallen.

He reached Donatello's side just as the ox was bringing down a brutal overhand strike with a wicked-looking polearm. Donatello had his bo in ready defensive position, but that meant there was one last bandit sneaking around his blind side.

Leo trusted Donatello to handle the obvious threat and intercepted the other. The frog bandit clearly had not seen Leo coming and went down easily to the turtle's furious blows. He turned to check on Don.

With a move he had perfected under the tutelage of the Ninja Tribunal, Don neatly disarmed the ox and slammed one end of his bo into a knee hard enough for the shattering of bone to be audible. The ox went down shrieking.

After a quick glance to ensure that Mikey and Raph were fine – and were finishing up the bandits who were still standing – Leo studied Donatello's face. His gentlest brother was flinching. But he did not move to knock out his opponent as he had the others. Leo stepped up and tipped his head at the ox on the ground. The ox was curled around his ruined knee and no longer paying attention to them.

Donatello shrugged, interpreting Leo's questioning expression. "Oxen skulls are all one hard piece of bone under several layers of horn and keratin. I'll break my bo if I try."

Leo nodded. He reversed his grip of one of his katana and drove the pommel into the unsuspecting ox's head right at the temple nearest the ear under the curving horn. He could feel the blow reverberate up his arm, but it dropped the ox into unconsciousness. Leo ran a thumb along the pommel to make sure it wasn't dented – Don hadn't been kidding that oxen had hard heads!

On the other side, Raph snarled, "And _stay_ down!" There was the sound of flesh hitting flesh and then silence other than groans and heavy breathing.

"We're clear," Leo said when Raph and Mikey looked up. "But we better get out of here."

"Aw! But I just got my ground all comfy and rock-free!" Mikey whined.

"'Cause all the rocks are in your head," Raph muttered. "Come on, shell-for-brains." He yanked his brother's bandana tails back towards the bedrolls to pack up their gear.

Donatello wasn't moving with them. Instead, he had bent down near the ox, running a hand over the knee he had struck.

"Donnie?" Leo asked softly.

Don shook his head. "I'm not sure he'll ever walk normally again. I'll try and set it before we go, but…"

Leo put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Don. You were just defending yourself."

"I know that." But he still shifted the unconscious ox so he was lying on his back and tore through the thin material to see the knee clearly. Already it was swelling and purpling. Don closed his eyes and let his fingers gently prod the whole knee, making a mental map of what it should look like versus what he had done to it.

"Definitely a fracture and dislocation," he diagnosed. "I'll do the best I can."

"Don...you don't have to…" Leo said.

"Yes I do. This isn't New York where he can go to a hospital. Even the Foot go back to their Clan to get cared for by their doctors. Unless one of these guys is secretly a healer, there isn't going to be anywhere for him to go and get this fixed. And an injury like this could be a death sentence."

Leonardo sighed. None of the turtles liked killing their enemies, but none of them took it as personally as Donatello did. Of the four of them, Donatello was the only one Leo was sure kept track of the approximate number of opponents he had killed; it wasn't an exact number because situations with explosions had to be estimated. Leo suspected Michelangelo might be keeping track as well, but he never talked about it. If killing those who attacked him bothered Mikey, he hid it well.

Leo and Raph kept a different count. They cared if they took lives in their fighting, but not in comparison with the reason they were fighting in the first place. Leo and Raph both counted the scars on their bodies and on the bodies of their brothers and took each one as a mark of failure. Any time any one of his brothers took a wound in battle, Leo knew he had not protected his family well enough.

But there were also scars that didn't show up on skin or shells, and Leo didn't want to leave Donatello with another one, so he simply kept watch while his brother snapped the ox's knee back into place with a swift, sharp motion and bound it using everything that came easily to hand, including the ox's own belt. Then he broke the staff of the polearm the ox had used into several smaller pieces and braced them around the knee before wrapping the whole thing in the torn fabric of the ox's hakama. Lastly, he found a few sacks other bandits had been carrying and piled them up so he could prop the ox's foot high in the air.

By the time Donatello looked up from his work, Raph and Mikey had joined Leo watching over them. "Anybody else maimed for life?" He meant it to sound light, but there was weight in the question.

Leo shook his head. The bighorn ram was beyond saving; he'd known that when he landed the final hit.

Raph and Mikey both glanced over their area of combat. They looked at the bodies they had felled and reviewed the moves that had taken them down.

"Mine are all just out cold," Mikey reported a minute later.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Raph said. Leo looked sharply at him, and he shrugged. He'd made the same choice Leonardo had with the ram – either they went down easy and lived or he had put them down fast and they didn't.

Donatello let out a breath and got to his feet, examining his patient one more time. When he looked up, he managed a smile that was more like himself. "Thanks for waiting." He reached for his pack Raph had been carrying.

"No problem, bro." And Raph's voice held no censure, no sarcasm.

After all, at the end of the day, they all had to do whatever was necessary to survive and live with the price of that survival. In Don's case, it meant building the best technology to protect his family and trying to fix the things he broke in the world. For Raphael, it meant venting the rage that built up from his own fear for the people he loved. Michelangelo survived by laughter – his own and his brothers'. And Leonardo gave up everything to make himself strong enough to protect his family.

They might tease the brainiac, or mock the return of the turtle tantrum, or get sick of certain jokes, or roll their eyes at endless training, but they all understood. And when it mattered, when it meant stitching together a burdened heart and soul, they never made light of it; they helped one another through it.

Don shouldered his pack and the four looked over their campsite to make sure they had left no traces of themselves other than the defeated bandits. They took nothing from their opponents, not even supplies or weaponry that might have been useful. There was no honor in looting the fallen.

"We'll walk for an hour or so and find a spot we can sleep past dawn without being seen," Leo said. "I'll handle watch for the rest of the night."

There was no point in arguing. Leo's blood was up and he wouldn't be able to rest again any time soon. So his brothers just nodded and fell into line as they returned to the road with only moonlight to guide them.

-==OOO==-

In spite of their interrupted night, the four turtles were back on the road before late morning. They had eventually left the road to go deep into the forest where they'd found a steep gully by virtue of nearly falling into it which was overgrown by trailing vines and plants and nearly invisible in the dark to sleep. But it was damp and a little cramped, so even Mikey didn't feel like sleeping in beyond what was needed to stop feeling the tiredness of the abbreviated night.

"At this rate, and according to the map," Donatello said when they were back on the road, "we should reach Shuo Katsu sometime tomorrow afternoon. We're making really good time."

"I get the feeling Usagi stops more along the way than we do," Mikey said, tipping his head.

"What makes you say that?" Leo asked.

"Well, he really looks like a samurai, right? And we don't. We look like dorks who don't know how to dress." He held up his haori sleeves that now bore a few green stains from getting dragged through the undergrowth as they'd climbed out of their gully.

Raph gave him a look. "Who cares if we ain't wearing sixteen layers of brocade? And what does that have to do with anything?"

"No, he's right," Leo said. "If samurai meet traveling, they regularly challenge one another to duels to improve their skills and their reputations. But we don't look like samurai."

"Could be because we're not actually samurai," Don pointed out.

"But we haven't met any samurai," Raph said. "I'd've noticed the attitude. We've only seen farmers and regular people. And bandits."

"Well, we haven't stopped anywhere for food or to stay overnight, either," Mikey said. "And Usagi said he usually does both. I bet if we'd stopped along the way, we'd have met some."

"Because what samurai is going to camp out overnight if they can buy a room at an inn?" Don nodded. "Mikey's got a point."

Leo peered at his youngest brother. "How do you know so much?"

Mikey shrugged with a smile. "I read a lot."

Raph snorted. "Comic books."

"Hey, most stories have the same basic hero's journey," Mikey said. "Hero gets chosen, resists the call to adventure, finally accepts his destiny, goes on a journey, meets lots of people, at least one of which will die to help him, one will fall in love with him and probably get used as bait in the end, and one will betray him. And then he gets to the end of his journey, kicks the bad guy's shell, wins the love interest, and goes home. Usagi seems to spend most of his time on the journey part."

Donatello grinned at him. "I think I better break out the smelling salts. Raph and Leo might pass out from shock that you know all that."

Mikey returned the grin. "But not you?"

"I actually _listen_ to you when you talk about your comics."

"And that is why you're my favorite." Mikey slung an arm across Don's shoulders. "You take me seriously."

Leonardo and Raphael both managed to shake the slightly choked expressions they were wearing.

"Seriously like a virus is serious," Raph muttered.

They bantered cheerfully for the next mile or so, with only one bout of wrestling and chasing after a remark predictably set off Raph's temper. But as they approached the crest of a hill, Leonardo held up a hand in warning.

"What is it?" Raph whispered.

"I smell smoke."

Donatello frowned and peeked at the map again. "There is a village not far from here, but it shouldn't be so close yet that you'd notice the cookfires."

"I don't think that's it."

The four turtles broke into a run and cleared the top of the hill in moments.

Below them was a small valley, and to one side of the road they could see there was a village of between ten and twenty houses all surrounded by a small wooden palisade.

But the palisade had clearly been torn down and several houses were burning. Now that they were closer, they could hear the cries of alarm from below.

"Let's go," Leo said, setting off at a run, his brothers close behind.

"What's the plan?" Don asked as he put the map safely in his pack and drew his bo.

"Mikey, get into the trees. I want to know if whoever did this is still around. Signal if you see any attackers. Raph and Don, you're with me. We've got to get the people clear." He left the road and began to cut through the underbrush, dropping his pack. Raph and Don copied him and the three sped off.

Michelangelo let his own pack fall but sprang upwards into the nearest tree. He jumped from branch to branch in silence, senses alert. If his brothers were running into an ambush, he was their only hope of finding out about it before it was too late.

One particularly thick-trunked tree rose up above the others and Mikey scrambled up it, looking in every direction. Now that he was clear of the forest, he could see some commotion far to the north which looked to him like a group of people fleeing the scene of the crime. That was the same direction some villagers were running and shouting, so Mikey guessed they'd already driven off whoever was responsible for the fires. He scanned what he could see of the village, but didn't see anything lying in wait for his brothers, nor any continuing battles.

Mikey put two fingers in his mouth and gave a long whistle followed by a short one followed by another long one, the Morse Code for the letter K which was the signal for things being okay ahead. It wasn't the most inspired secret code, but it wasn't like Mikey was worried about the people in Usagi's world figuring out Morse from just one letter.

He was preparing to jump down and join his brothers when he heard a high, frightened cry.

Michelangelo's eyes tracked across the village until he saw the source of panic: a young cat with coloring not entirely unlike Klunk's was hanging out a window in one of the houses that was on fire. The young one was clearly screeching for help.

"Hang on, kitty cat! I'm on my way!" he shouted.

Mikey bounced from his perch to a tree several yards away, leaping between them with the agility of a monkey, or of a turtle raised running from rooftop to rooftop in New York. In moments he was jumping from a tree to the top of the flimsy palisade wall and down into the village. He could see his brothers just entering from the other side and starting to try to help put out fires.

But they were at the wrong end and that cat child needed help now.

Mikey dashed to where several villagers were crowded outside the house, but the flames kept them back. He spied a pail of water and ran for it, stripping out of his haori and hakama as he went. He dunked the haori into the water and pulled it over his head.

"I don't think I'm cut out for this hero stuff," he muttered. Then, "Oh, wait! Yes I am!" He sprinted to the nearest door to the house which stood open and engulfed with flame.

"Here comes the Turtle Titan!"

And he threw himself into the fire.

Of course, that was the moment his three brothers rounded another building, just in time to watch him dive into fire. They shouted for him and ran to the house, but parts of the roofing were already collapsing and the door he had used was gone under a pile of burning thatch.

Leo changed from rushing after Mikey to keeping Raph rom going in anyway. "Don't! You can't reach him that way!"

Don had sprinted sideways to see if there was another way in or out from the house and spotted a window big enough for Michelangelo to use if he could reach it. Just as he was trying to figure out how to start shoveling dirt into the window to clear it, a shape loomed up against the flames before a green foot kicked through the wooden cross-piece and took a part of the frame out as well.

Michelangelo jumped from the window and curled into a tight ball around a small form in his arms, landing on his shell with a grunt.

"Silver Sentry, eat your heart out!" Then he started to cough.

"Mikey!" Shouting together, all three brothers converged on him.

Michelangelo uncurled, revealing the small cat child wrapped in his damp, soot-streaked haori. "Is he okay?" His throat closed and the coughing took over.

Leo pulled the child from Mikey's arms while Don tipped Mikey up and pounded on his shell to help him. "I don't think he's breathing."

Raph put a hand against the child's face and held it for a second. "I don't feel anything."

"Keep everybody back," Leo ordered. He carefully set the child on the ground and tipped his head back, checking the tiny mouth for obstruction or debris and wiping away some soot.

"Nice and even," Don said, still rubbing Mikey's shell and monitoring his pulse and breathing. "Watch his chest and don't over-inflate. We've been through this. If you can't get a good seal on his mouth, try his nose the way firefighters do cats and dogs back home."

Leo paused only a second before he bent and tried to arrange his mouth over the tiny creature's face. In the end he did his best with the nose, never more frustrated at the shape of their turtle beaks. All the turtles had learned as much first aid as Donatello could cram into their heads, but none of them had ever tried CPR before, and even with humans they'd known it wouldn't be easy given their facial structure.

But he had to try.

Leo took a deep breath and blew slowly into the child's nose, keeping a hand on the chest and feeling it inflate very slightly. He was already stopping when Donatello called out that that was enough. He waited for the chest to fall before repeating the breath.

Somewhere over his head, Leo was cognizant that Raph was saying something to the villagers, keeping them at bay, but it was noise and distraction and he could not afford to pay it any attention.

He did notice when Mikey shoved Donatello away and the purple-banded turtle scooted to sit across the child from Leo. He took a narrow wrist between his fingers and felt for a pulse.

He nodded. "Sluggish heartbeat. Try the breathing again." His voice was even and steady, calm and analytical, an anchor against tragedy.

Hope renewed, Leo bent and breathed again, the tiny whiskers tickling under his chin and the smell of soot making him want to gag. But he resisted and focused on passing air into the still lungs.

The child's body gave a strange sort of shudder and he made a sound that was strangled and airless.

Donatello pushed Leo aside to lift the child and flip him over, grabbing Leo's arms and arranging the kitten across them at a downward angle.

"One sharp strike with the heel of your hand," he ordered, dropping so he was almost crawling on the ground to get where he could hold the child's head and monitor him. "He's choking on the soot."

Leo didn't know exactly how hard to hit, but he knew he couldn't hit hard enough to really hurt, that he must strike enough to drive smoke out of the body but not break it. And there wasn't time to be wrong.

But Leo had trained daily and knew his own strength the way Donatello knew his computers. He lifted a hand and aimed for the spot between the small cat's shoulder-blades.

The child made a half cough and Donatello nodded. "Good! A little lower and just a little harder."

Leo repeated the motion as instructed. Now there was more movement in the child beneath him.

"One more, Leo."

The heel of Leo's palm hit the thin back and this time he felt the whole body jerk as though he had popped a cork from a bottle. Then the child began to retch and cough weakly, caught between the urge to vomit and the need to breathe.

Leo rubbed his back softly, trusting Donatello to know which the child needed more. But Donatello just spoke in a low voice to the cat, calming and steady, telling him it was okay to be sick, to breathe slowly through his nose, to not fight his body. In a few moments, the worst of it had faded and the kitten was starting to blink and look around.

"Here. This is his big sister. She ain't gonna wait anymore," Raph said, suddenly at Leo's elbow. Leonardo looked into the anxious green eyes of another orange cat and carefully handed the kitten into her waiting arms.

"Yoshi! Yoshi!" Tears slipped down her face and she clutched the boy to her. He managed to get his arms around her neck and held on, still coughing. "I feared you were gone to the ancestors!"

"They also thought you were working evil magic," Raph said to Leo.

"Thanks for buying me time," Leo said with a tired smile.

Donatello had already shifted back to where Mikey was getting to his feet, protesting in a croaky voice that he was the Turtle Titan Michelangelo and he was fine. But the words were breathy and raspy and fooling nobody.

"Leo."

Leonardo turned to where Raph bent low, dropping his voice to keep from being overheard.

"It was those same guys who jumped us last night."

Leo's eye-ridges raised. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. One of 'em's dead over there and I remember breaking his nose."

Leo looked around the village. "Do you think this is our fault? Some kind of revenge? Or maybe they needed supplies?"

Raph shrugged. "Who knows how dirtbags think? I dunno."

A falling silence drew their attention. Raph hauled Leo to his feet just in time to see the woman with the child in her arms fall to her knees before him, many of the villagers joining her.

"My Lords," she said, "are you our guardian spirits come to save us?"

Donatello shook his head. "No, we were just passing by and thought we could help."

Her eyes moved between Michelangelo and Leonardo. "Our village owes you a debt we cannot repay. Yoshi is the only son of my father, the village Headman. When he is of age, he will lead us. By sparing him, you have saved us all."

Leonardo drew himself up and bowed. "We are honored to have been able to help you. But please rise. There is still much to do to correct what has happened here."

"Stand up, Mitsu. Stand up everyone. He speaks wisely," came another voice. Another orange cat, this one male and clearly older from the silver and white growing in his fur, rose and returned the bow. "Thank you for the life you have saved."

Raph nodded. "Not a problem. Now, let's get the rest of these fires out, eh?"

For several hours, the turtles worked to help undo the damage. Donatello set up a steam tent with a tarp from his pack and had Yoshi and Michelangelo shelter beneath it along with anyone else coughing from smoke, breathing in warm, moist air infused with some boiling green tea to help clear and heal their lungs. Raphael inspected the palisade and helped locate all the weakened or broken points for repair. Leonardo found himself being deferred to by everyone and organized the entire village to extinguish those fires that still burned and to clear the buildings that were now too damaged to be safe.

The evidence – and conversations with the villagers – confirmed that it had been a small but vicious group of bandits behind the attack; the most likely motive was looting food and supplies. Since the turtles knew they hadn't actually taken anything from the bandits they left behind, they could only assume those who survived the attempted ambush and woke first stole everything they could carry and left their slower brethren with a need to stock up quickly.

But when the immediate work was done – and when Michelangelo had gotten bored of sitting under the tent trying to keep the curious Yoshi entertained while also sweating in his newly-washed clothing that had been retrieved courtesy of Mitsu – the four turtles drew aside to talk privately. They rounded an unburned building to where they had left their packs after collecting them from the woods to use some of their supplies, like Don's tarp.

"I'm not sure we should be leaving them defenseless," Raph said, eyeing the backpacks as if they offended him. "Those guys could come back and it's not like these people are going to be able to fight them off."

"We've got our own fight ahead of us," Leo pointed out. "The Daimyo is counting on us to figure out his ghost before the New Moon. We don't have time to sit around here waiting for a bunch of bandits to _maybe_ come back."

"Yeah, I know that. But it just doesn't seem right leaving them here."

"Raph, this isn't our fight."

"Since when do you run away from a fight protecting people who need help, _Fearless_?"

"Since you were right about the gang war and I almost got us all killed sticking our shells in where we didn't belong!" Leo's voice had gone steadily up and he was near to shouting.

Mikey shot a wry smile to Donatello. "Leo and Raphie arguing? I'm shocked."

Don nodded. "Me too."

Raph, meanwhile, matched Leo for volume. "Well, you were wrong _then_ just like you're wrong _now_! We can't just leave these people to die!"

"Who said anything about dying?" Leo shot back. "Or weren't you paying attention? Those guys weren't out to kill people. They came here to steal food and provisions. They emptied the village. There's no reason for them to come back!"

"Even more reason for _us_ to stay," Raph said. "They've got nothing! The food they have left is half-ruined and they don't even know yet what other supplies are gone."

"Which is _a_ problem, but not _our_ problem," Leo crossed his arms. "If these people are really in trouble, they can appeal to the Daimyo for help. Assuming he's still alive, that is!"

Donatello and Michelangelo exchanged knowing looks. This was the point in any given argument between their brothers that usually degenerated into insults and accusations until Raph stormed out of the lair and Leo stomped to the dojo and it would be at least twelve hours of awkward, bitten-off sentences before they would be able to exchange more than dirty looks. A lifetime of experience had taught both Don and Mikey not to interfere with this process or risk being drawn into the insults themselves and that didn't help matters any.

But with nowhere for Raph to go in Usagi's world and no time for a half-day of bubbling rage, they both raised a hand in almost identical gestures to intercept their feuding brothers.

Only for all four to freeze when they became aware of someone approaching them.

When the cat Mitsu, older sister of the kitten they had rescued, rounded the barn or storage house behind which the turtles had been having their discussion, they all managed to look as if half the brothers had not been bellowing at one another only a moment before.

"Kame-sama," she said, giving a half-bow, "while we are all grateful for your assistance, we cannot keep you from whatever urgent business you must have elsewhere. The village would like to offer you some reward for your help, but then we will free you of any obligation to remain with us if your duty lies elsewhere."

"It's like she's psychic," Mikey whispered to his brothers.

"More like she and everybody else could hear us all the way back to the castle," Don whispered back.

Raph crossed his arms. "You sure your people will be okay?"

"We have weathered far more deadly storms than this, and before high summer we have much time to recover before the cold rains come. We are strong and we will endure." She tossed her head with a flash of pride. "In four weeks were you to return, you would see nothing amiss."

"I believe you," Leo told her. "Then we will say goodbye and continue on our journey."

"You must let us give you a reward," Mitsu said, holding up a hand.

Leo shook his head. "No. We were just glad to help."

Mitsu's eyes narrowed. "Are you ghosts after all, then, to refuse your due?"

"No, we're not ghosts," Don spoke up. "But we don't think it would be very honorable to take anything from your village when you've already lost so much."

"I see. Then we will call it an unpaid debt between us." She drew herself up. "Though mere farmers, we do know the meaning of honor. Return to us when you wish and call upon us. Until then, we remain honor-bound to you."

Leo bowed to her. "Then we will go before we disrupt your efforts to rebuild."

Raph growled low in his chest, but it wasn't audible beyond the four of them close together.

"Goodbye, Kame-sama. We will remember your honor and courage all our days." She bowed low but when she rose her eyes were all for Michelangelo.

Leo nodded, shouldered his pack, and then sprang to the air, jumping easily to the roof of the nearest building; his brothers followed him only a second behind. Then Leo leaped from the roof to a nearby tree on the other side of the palisade and slid into the shadows of the canopy.

"Looks like _somebody's_ got a crush." Raph poked Mikey as they headed deeper into the trees to get back to the road. "Figures you'd pick up a girlfriend here of all places."

"I don't know what you mean," Mikey said.

"Doesn't anybody else find it creepy for Mikey's type to be basically Klunk?" Don asked.

"Ew!" Mikey almost missed a branch. "My kitty baby is _not_ my type!"

Raph laughed. "But Mitsu is!"

"Shut it, Raphie-boy!"

* * *


	5. Blinded

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which part of the mystery is unraveled, but all is still not as it seems. We have a few more twists in our path ahead...
> 
> By the way, the song which is the theme for Act 1 should be pretty obvious by now if you Google it. This particular song is appropriate for Act 1,but it is VASTLY more useful as one massive pile of foreshadowing for the next, eh, 3 Acts. Just sayin'.
> 
> (I had to ask my beta if foreshadowing could be in a pile. She's still not sure. But I'm the author, so I say yes!)
> 
> Enjoy!

Aside from an entirely new subject of teasing, the rest of the day's journey passed uneventfully. The turtles kept a sharp watch out for any sign of the local bandits, but they saw none. Still, more wary than before, they again chose an overnight campsite that was well far back from the road and concealed, this time under the roots of a half-toppled tree. It was cramped and everybody was annoyed at the lack of a fire to cook a proper dinner, but nobody really wanted to make it easy to be found a second time.

Raph made a few grumbling remarks about how they should be hunting down those bandits and taking them out permanently, but Leo opted to adopt selective deafness and did not rise to the bait. Donnie and Mikey shrugged and initiated a game of guessing how many times Raph would try to pick a fight before bedtime.

Which Mikey won, only by virtue of egging Raph on until his guess was right.

In the morning, however, they set out a little differently than before.

"We're close to Shuo Katsu's place," Leo said as they packed up their bags after a quick breakfast. "We'll stop a few miles out and hide everything we don't absolutely need to take with us. And we'll drop the clothing there, too."

"I'm sure the Daimyo's half brother will be thrilled to see us in the buff," Raph said.

Leo glared at him. "We've been here less than a week and you already _like_ wearing all the traditional stuff? Who's been the one complaining about lack of maneuverability for the last three days?"

Raph snorted. "Don't get me wrong. I ain't gonna miss those baggy pants and enough sleeves for any four grown turtles. But if we're trying to blend in, we ain't gonna do it by looking like ninja."

"We're not _trying_ to blend in," Leo said. "We _are_ ninja. We are sneaking in and spying on him."

"Duh," Mikey added helpfully.

Donatello consulted the map. "Looks like there's a lot more forest between here and there. The chances of somebody stumbling on our gear if we pick a completely arbitrary hiding spot are pretty low."

"The last time I was here, there were ninja moles who could travel by digging," Leo said. "On the off-chance they're working with Shuo Katsu, we better not try burying it."

Don shot Leo an offended look. "I think you're forgetting who you're talking to. Not only would that possibly compromise some of our supplies, but I actually planned for this. We'll stick it high in a tree under concealment."

"Duh again," Mikey said.

Raph and Leo exchanged a glance and both smacked Mikey upside the head in tandem.

"Ow! Hey!"

"Come on," Leo said, starting to head back towards the road. "Time to do what we came here to do."

They followed the road throughout the morning, but mostly from within the shadows of the forest to either side and with the sort of paranoid awareness that they usually had to employ those rare times they ventured out of the lair during full daylight in the city. About two miles from the spot on the map marked as Shuo Katsu's estate, they abandoned the road and angled deep into the trees.

As Leo tracked their position on the map, he felt a prickle of anxiety. Two miles was an eternity of distance in the city, wider than the whole of Manhattan in most places. Usually they would store their gear within a block or less of their objective. But space is relative and no more so in unfamiliar territory. Two miles here meant they might see a few scattered curls of smoke from the nearby estate already if they climbed a tall enough tree. Even a half-mile of open ground would put them in range of skilled archers.

Back home, the turtles could run two miles in under ten minutes, faster if they had really good reason like an urgent need to get someone who had been injured to safety or to rescue a member of the family.

Ten minutes was an eternity if Leo miscalculated and they needed something critical they had left behind.

"How about this one?" Raph asked, looking up at a bushy tree with a thick trunk that reminded Leo of the giant cherry trees of Japan.

Don nodded. "Yeah, that'll work. Come on." And he scaled the tree with ease, his brothers following.

To Leo's surprise, Donatello didn't pile the packs close to the trunk of the tree as he had expected, even on branches that were plenty wide enough to support them. Instead, Donnie walked out on a branch with just one pack until he reached a spot almost too narrow to hold him. Then he used the straps of the backpack to secure it amidst the leaves at the end of the branch and tossed a camouflaged-patterned tarp over it.

"If anybody looks up at the tree from the ground," he explained, "they'd see lumps against the trunk that would be out of place. But way out on the branches the leaves and sticks break up the shape of a backpack better. Plus, even if one gets found, the others might not be."

Raph snorted. "That's pretty paranoid, even for you."

"Nope." Don pointed down at Leo. "It's just paranoid enough for _him_."

He repeated the process with the three other backpacks, but Leo noticed he was still carrying a small bag. This one was about the size of a laptop bag, slung across Don's chest and hanging at his hip like his duffle used to sit. He waited until they were all on the ground again before gesturing to it and raising an eye-ridge.

Don fidgeted with the strap for a moment. "I lost my duffle after the lair went up and I don't have a new one yet. I had to borrow this from April. I can't store as much stuff in it, but it's big enough for the med kit and a few other helpful odds and ends."

Mikey smiled. "Usagi said that samurai always carry two weapons and I know we're ninja and not samurai, but I think Donnie's got it covered anyway. It's just that his second weapon is his magic bag that always has the stuff we need right when we need it most!"

Don shrugged. "I'm not sure flashlights and extra smoke pellets count as weapons exactly, but you never know."

"We've taken people out with less," Raph said.

"And we'll do it again if we have to," Leo finished. "Come on. Let's get into that estate and find out if this guy is behind the threat to the Daimyo."

But he smiled at Donatello gratefully as they took to the branches and moved east in ninja silence. _Leave it to Donnie to anticipate me again. I think he worries about our safety as much as I do, even if he deals with it differently. At least now with the essentials on hand we've got a real chance to escape and survive long enough to get the full supplies if things go really wrong._

_And I'm not about to let them go wrong._

Of course, turtle luck never seemed to make such resolutions easy.

Within the last half mile to the house, the four turtles came to an abrupt halt in a tree and surveyed their situation.

"Where the shell did all these people come from?" Mikey wanted to know.

The house of Shuo Katsu was an estate somewhere between the grandeur of the Daimyo's castle and a more common dwelling from the village outside its walls. Though not more than two stories tall, the house had been built artfully with the same elegant lines and flourishes. It sat within a low wall of its own surrounded by a few matching outbuildings, and from their angle, they could see that the grounds within the walls, though not extensive, were well-kept gardens spotted with quiet pools.

But the pools were the only thing quiet about the scene, for there was a small company of armed people crammed inside the walls between every building and along the paths. One whole side that was probably once a peaceful stand of trees had been turned into a row of tents and makeshift quarters for the fifty or sixty soldiers moving around.

Leo frowned. "They're wearing a mon, but it isn't Lord Kawauso's."

"Some kind of rival territory, like a gang war?" Raph asked.

"Could be," Donatello said. "I think I remember reading that the different Daimyo would fight with each other for territory to increase their standing with the Shogun in Edo Japan."

Leo nodded. "Last time I was here, one Lord was trying to kill another until the Shogun stepped in."

"But why would some other Daimyo send his troops here?" Mikey asked. "Since the Daimyo doesn't really seem to care about his half brother, what's the point?"

Leo gave a small, knowing smile. "Let's find out."

It took the turtles half an hour to cross the final half mile and penetrate the guards posted on the wall – stealth could not be rushed in general, and they had to be extra cautious in full daylight without the shadows of night to conceal them. But they would be poor ninja indeed if they couldn't sneak past a company of loud, arrogant soldiers too sure of their own security.

Once over the wall, the turtles followed Leonardo to a pagoda that sheltered a large well; it was big enough for them to all get up beneath the slanted eaves and crouch out of sight.

"Looks like they've been here a while," Raph said. "They've sure made a mess of the flowers."

Donatello considered for a moment. "I'd guess they didn't all come at the same time."

"Why do you say that?" Leo asked.

"Some of the tents that look the most worn are really close to the main house and they're bigger, like they were set up before things got so crowded. And the plants by those tents are all totally dead. But the tents over here are smaller, less dirty, and the plants are just crushed. I'd guess that some of these guys have been camping out here for months and the rest came within the last week or so."

"It kinda makes sense," Mikey said.

Raph peered at him. "It does?"

"Sure. If this guy's behind it, he started months ago, right? But now he's moving into endgame." He shrugged.

"Or he's afraid of the same thing that's happening to Lord Kawauso," Leo said. "We can't make any assumptions until we're sure." He flipped upside down and peeked out from under the pagoda roof. "We need to get into the main house." He smiled. "And I think I see our way in."

Two minutes later, all four turtles were lying flat on their plastrons and crawling on their elbows in the tiny space beneath the house. It was rocky and muddy and if silence hadn't been so necessary there would have been more than one turtle unhappy about the number of spiders and ants and other crawlies they disturbed; on the other hand, being raised in a sewer did at least somewhat inure one to dark, cramped, buggy places.

Except Raphael, of course. Which was why he let all of his brothers go first and only crawled into spaces they had already cleared.

"Shuo-sama?"

The turtles froze at the sudden voice almost overhead.

"Yes, Hibiki?"

"Lord Nezumi is taking tea in the Peach Room. Will you join him?"

An audible sigh. "Can you tell him I'm occupied with other matters?"

"Of course. But you cannot avoid him forever, my Lord."

"I can try."

A pause and a slight shuffling of feet. "My Lord, forgive me for saying so, but I believe you should make at least one more attempt before it is too late."

"I know. But, if I do...and if I can't get away this time either…"

"I understand, my Lord."

"You should go if you can, Hibiki."

"No, Shuo-sama. I am with you no matter how this ends for us both. I saw your birth and I will not leave you even in death."

"Thank you."

"I will give Lord Nezumi your apologies. Please try to rest if you can."

A door slid and things went quiet above. Leonardo began to scoot in the direction of Hibiki's retreating footsteps. Partway across the house, he heard the voice of Hibiki offering the regrets of Shuo Katsu. The voice that dismissed him was low and deep.

"The boy is afraid of us."

"As he should be, Lord Nezumi." This voice was sibilant and reminded Leo of the snake Lord Hebi, though it did not sound like it could possibly come from a creature of similar size.

"But you will maintain your watch over him. It would go poorly for our plan should he warn Kawauso before the New Moon."

"Do not fear, my Lord. My spells contain him to the grounds and would warn me the instant he passed beyond his own walls. He can take no step without my knowledge."

"Good. We are within days. If this Kawauso is as weak and feeble as the last one, the boy will be Daimyo in a matter of weeks. With no other Heir, the Shogunate will have no choice but to give the han to the boy. And he will not dare refuse me."

"It is still a great risk, my Lord. This Kawauso may not die of fright as the last one did."

"He shall. Their blood is weak. The boy is no better than his half brother, and he shakes at your very approach. A han of such wealth and riches should not belong to such a weak lineage."

"Of course, Lord Nezumi."

Leo signaled for his brothers to follow him and he vacated the area, heading for a spot he hoped was under an empty room. The four drew close together, their faces so near they could feel each others' breath.

"Sounds like this Lord Nezumi really has it in for the Daimyo," Raph whispered.

"And he's using Shuo Katsu to do it," Donatello said in an equally quiet voice. "Leo, what do you know about magic in this world?"

"Not much. I think we have to assume whoever this Nezumi has working for him is some kind of sorcerer."

"I bet it wouldn't be hard for a sorcerer to make ghosty noises," Mikey whispered. "And make knives appear out of nowhere."

"We've got to stop them," Leo said. "They could decide to skip their timetable and preempt the New Moon. We have to take them out tonight."

"Uh, Leo? You forgetting about the whole _sorcerer_ thing?" Raph poked him.

"Not forgetting. But we've beat magic before. We have to try. The Daimyo's counting on us."

"You know who else is counting on us?" Mikey hissed. "Me! Counting on us to get out of this in one piece!"

"We will. The same way we always do."

It was dark under the house but there was just enough light to make out Donatello's wry expression. "By the skin of our shells?"

Leo nudged him. "Exactly. Now listen. Here's the plan."

Though time was of the essence, the turtles waited until well after nightfall to make their move. After all, if they succeeded, the threat to the Daimyo would be ended. And the cover of darkness was the most helpful of any ninja's allies.

While they waited, the turtles became very familiar with the low crawl-space under the house, traversing practically every inch of it as they made a mental map of the house above from the sounds they could hear. They also noted the patrols and guards, obviously all loyal to Nezumi rather than Shuo Katsu, and tracked the patterns the soldiers wandered as they maintained watch over the estate.

As the sun began to set, the turtles took brief naps, two awake and two resting, to ensure they would be sharp for their night's work. It wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but it was safe, they were together, and there was no immediate threat; all four had slept in far less amiable circumstances, after all. Besides, as Mikey pointed out with a yawn, it was a good way to pass the time when they ran out of reconnaissance to do.

When they finally emerged from their hiding place, they moved as silently and insubstantial as shadows, exploiting a blind spot in the house's patrols and slipping inside without raising the alarm.

Their first destination was Shuo Katsu's bedchamber.

The room was dim with only a single candle sputtering at the end of its wick, but it was enough for the brothers to see the sleeping form of an otter that was practically a twin to Lord Kawauso, though a bit smaller and narrower about the nose. Leo waved Don and Mikey to guard the door while he and Raph knelt by the bed.

Leo reached over and put a hand firmly over Shuo Katsu's snout and leaned close. "Wake up. We've come from the Daimyo."

The reaction was immediate; Shuo Katsu tried to surge upwards with a cry, but Leo muffled him while Raph held him still.

"Don't panic, please. We're here to help you. We're trying to protect your half-brother," Leo hoped the young otter was listening. He didn't have a good backup plan if he couldn't get Shuo Katsu to cooperate.

But the young otter went limp and gave a slight nod. Cautiously, Leo removed his hand.

"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" he asked, peering up at the turtles.

"You think we'd be sneaking around here if we were working for Nezumi?" Raph grumbled.

He considered that. "Good point. Very well. I am Shuo Katsu. How can I help you, Kame-san?"

"I'm Hamato Leonardo and these are my brothers Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo. First, do you know how to get the spell off you so you can leave the house?"

Shuo Katsu shook his head. "I'm sorry. I do not think I can help you against such powerful magic."

"Don't sweat it," Raph said. "We've got a couple ideas about that." He cracked his knuckles. "Most magicians don't do spells so well after you take 'em apart."

"Easy, Raph," Leo said. He turned back. "The spell warns them when you leave, right? It doesn't control your actions?"

"That is correct."

"Then we just have to get you far enough away that they can't track us anymore."

But the otter shook his head. "You should flee. Go to the Daimyo and warn him. Perhaps he can find his own wizard to protect him from Nezumi's sorcerer. I am dead already."

Leo frowned. "We're not leaving you here. There's no telling what these guys will do to you when their plan fails."

"Just trust us, kid," Raph said. "We'll get you out of this."

"What do you know about the magic they're working against the Daimyo?" Leo asked. "Is it bound to something like an object we can break to put a stop to it?"

"How did you know?" Shuo Katsu looked at him in surprise. "There is a hair brooch that was given by my father to my mother. They bathed it in my blood."

"Shell." Raph gulped. "Gross."

"Okay," Leo said. "Do you know where they keep it?"

"Yes. But it has been guarded or I would have destroyed it myself."

"Then we'll go smash it and get you out of here. Is there anyone else we need to worry about rescuing while we're here?"

Shuo Katsu looked at Leo. "You have to save Hibiki also. He's taken care of me since I was born. Everyone else was sent away when Lord Nezumi came."

"Come on." Leo gave him a hand and helped him to his feet. "While you get dressed, Mike and Donnie can go get Hibiki. Then we'll hit the brooch on our way out."

Shuo Katsu reached into his sleeping robes and drew out a pedant. "Show this to Hibiki and tell him the sun has risen. He will know that means I sent you."

Leo handed it to Donatello. "You know where to find him?"

"Yep. Don't worry. We'll be back in a minute."

On silent feet, the pair slipped from the room and out into the hall. Raph took up their post keeping watch while Leo tried to help Shuo Katsu dress. He was worried he would have to talk the young otter out of something ornamental and entirely impractical, but Shuo Katsu chose a simple kimono under a set of hakama.

Shortly thereafter there was a low tap on the door, causing Raph to tense and draw a sai before he realized it was the cadence of the Shell Cell ringtone. A moment later, the door opened and Don and Mikey entered with an older dog between them.

"Shuo-sama. Are you certain?" Hibiki asked, moving straight to his Lord.

"I'm sure, Hibiki. This is the only way. I must do whatever I can to save the Daimyo from my own foolishness and restore my honor."

"Now," Leo said, "let's go find that brooch and see about breaking the spell."

They couldn't move as quickly through the house as the turtles had alone with two non-ninja civilians in tow, but Hibiki and Shuo Katsu were both motivated to keep the best pace possible, and though they couldn't pass for invisible, they walked with care to avoid making any egregious noises.

At the door to the room with the cursed brooch, Leo leaned low to the pair.

"Just stay back and let us handle it. If any guards come in or we have to fight, we'll protect you. You just stay out of trouble and keep your backs to the wall."

They slid the thin door open and entered the chamber.

Where most other rooms had been sparse, this one was cluttered with a complex arrangement of items amidst shapes and lines drawn in some kind of powder forming an intricate magical circle drawn on the floor. On a pedestal in the center, a gleaming porcelain brooch sat, darkly stained.

"I got it," Raph said. He stepped from the group and made to cross the outermost boundary of the circle.

Only for a crash like thunder directly overhead to echo the instant his foot crossed the first line.

"Good going, Mister Way-of-Silence," Mikey told him as pounding footsteps echoed in the corridor.

"Nobody said it was booby-trapped!" Raph snarled, drawing both sai.

"Protect the others and try to get to the brooch," Leo ordered as the door slammed open and a crowd of soldiers poured in.

The four turtles sprang for the soldiers, weapons out and trying to hold back the tide. But many soldiers crashed through the paper screens that took the place of walls and the room rapidly filled. Behind the rush of soldiers, the turtles could see one figure in rich robes who darted straight towards the magical working.

The turtles were battling admirably against difficult odds, bringing down their opponents with speed, but they were being forced to one side, away from the circle and its contents.

What happened next seemed to happen in a horrible sort of slow motion.

The sorcerer, some type of lizard, was about to reach the brooch when brown hands pulled it away.

"Hibiki!" Shuo Katsu shouted, voice tight with fear.

"You will work evil in the name of Shuo-sama no more."

The dog looked up the sorcerer and deliberately snapped the brooch across an upraised knee.

The sorcerer howled and gestured wildly. A kunai from amidst the magical circle rose into the air and buried itself in Hibiki's chest.

"Hibiki! _No_!" Shuo Katsu's scream echoed over the sounds of battle. But he did not give into his grief in that instant. Rather, as a profound rage burned in his heart, he snatched a fallen sword from the ground and broke from his place between the four turtles.

"Shuo Katsu! Don't!" Leo yelled.

The young otter reached Hibiki's side just as the dog's eyes were sliding closed. He looked from his fallen friend to the sorcerer who was scowling down at the broken brooch as if someone had spilled tea on his favorite kimono. The disdainful, cold annoyance fueled his grief-stricken rage as much as the death that was of such little concern to the lizard. In fact, the sorcerer was not even paying attention to the young otter beside him as he crossed his arms and considered his magic once more.

Shuo Katsu lifted his blade and pierced the sorcerer through the stomach.

"For Hibiki and my own honor," he growled in the face of the shocked lizard who gurgled in response.

Donatello finally got loose from the fighting and used his bo to fling himself over the crowd to land in the center of the now-ruined magic circle. He dropped to one knee beside Hibiki and felt for a pulse.

"He's gone," he said. Then he looked at where Shuo Katsu was still leaning into the lizard with the sword, practically pinning him to the ground. The young otter was half-crying and half-shouting incoherently while the lizard tried to push him away with increasingly feeble hands.

Donatello rose and got a grip on Shuo Katsu's shoulders, physically yanking him away from the dying sorcerer. "It won't help," he said when the otter tried to fight him off. "He's gone. You've done enough."

But Shuo Katsu wouldn't so much as look away from the lizard even after his eyes rolled up and his body went slack.

Donatello shook his head and released Shuo Katsu long enough to swoop down and scoop up both halves of the brooch at the heart of so much trouble; these he tucked into his bag. Then he looked to where his brothers had formed a perimeter to guard him from being rushed by the other soldiers.

"Guys, we're done here. Let's get moving!" he yelled.

Raph and Mikey collapsed back to Don's position. Leo glanced over his shoulder and gave a sharp nod to Donatello. "We need an exit."

"Can you get Shuo Katsu?" Don asked his brothers.

"No problem," Mikey nodded, flinging one soldier into a pile of others.

"Okay. One escape coming up!" From his bag, he drew a fistful of smoke pellets. He flung them to the ground in a wide arc around the turtles. Immediately the soldiers froze, unable to see their opponents. Leo withdrew from his battle and joined the others.

"Follow me," Leonardo ordered, heading for the hole in the thin door that led out into the gardens, torn wide by one of the groups of soldiers. Though more armed guards were trying to get into the room, in the confusion and smoke it was easy for the turtles to move quickly through the crowd without being seen. Mikey and Raph held Shuo Katsu between them and steered him along as if he were a mannequin.

But Leo didn't lead them straight to the outer wall. Instead, he banked sideways to one of the outbuildings nearest the gate. It was a stable.

"I know we don't ride very well," he said with a shrug, "but I bet we'll learn at least something getting back to the Daimyo's place in half the time of walking."

-==OOO==-

They didn't head straight to the Daimyo's castle, however. After taking five horses as chosen by the partly in-shock Shuo Katsu, they went deep into the woods and sent back Raph and Mikey to watch for any worrying activity just in case. From what they witnessed, it was apparent that Lord Nezumi was pulling out of the estate and heading south rather than west.

"Probably going home in case Lord Kawauso decides to attack in retaliation," Shuo Katsu said quietly when they reported back to the others.

"Will he?" Mikey wanted to know.

Shuo Katsu merely shrugged and said nothing.

In fact, the young otter spoke very little over the course of the journey back to the Daimyo's castle. He proved willing to give the turtles advice on how to ride the horses they had taken, and on how to soothe the soreness and muscle fatigue they gained as a result of the hours of riding at a trot. But that was largely the extent of his contribution. He did not add to their antics or jokes, did not ask them questions about themselves and their strangeness, did not object to the pace they set or when and where they stayed the night.

"It's weird," Donatello told Leonardo when they switched late-night watches the second night. "There's something off about him. But I don't know what it is."

"He just lost a friend, Donnie. Think how you'd feel if you lost Master Splinter. I'm sure his half-brother will be able to help him."

Donatello went to bed unconvinced, something nagging at him.

The horses allowed the group to travel almost twice as fast as the turtles had on the way east, so it was not long before they were back at the village of Mitsu and Yoshi. Shuo Katsu did not even approach, however, and refused to explain why, so the turtles could not linger beyond taking the time to ensure that the bandits had not returned and repairs were going well. Mikey may have impulsively promised to visit one more time before the turtles went home, and received a fair amount of teasing for it, but none of his brothers withdrew the promise.

On the morning of the third day on horseback, they reached the Daimyo's castle.

The turtles had returned to their borrowed clothing, and though they were road-dirty and tired, they received looks of admiration and respect from the villagers as they approached the main gate on the outer wall.

"What's with the good vibes?" Mikey asked.

"News travels fast in places like this," Leo said. "Mitsu probably sent someone here to tell the Daimyo about the bandits and the story about how we helped them got out. Even though we're ninja, we've proven to be honorable now."

"And that'll only get better when we show everybody we took care of the ghost," Raph said.

Donatello frowned, but said nothing.

Honda Ryome was on the gate himself and ordered it opened when the turtles appeared.

"Hamato-san, I see you have brought Shuo Katsu to us."

Leonardo dismounted and bowed fully. "Yes. And we think we know who was behind the ghost all along."

"Bring him and we will all see the Daimyo. Then you can explain to him directly." The samurai ordered some of his men on the walls to take the horses and packs from the turtles to leave them free to walk.

By the time they reached the castle keep, Master Splinter and Usagi had appeared to greet them.

"My sons! Are you well?"

"Yes, Sensei," Leo said.

"But sore in places you don't want to know about," Mikey added with a grimace.

"If you wanna go see your girlfriend, you better get used to it." Raph elbowed him. "It's not so bad after a while."

"Says you," Don sighed. "I don't think my tail will ever be the same."

"The priest is with the Daimyo now, finishing the day's prayer scrolls," Usagi said. "With your permission, I am certain he would also wish to hear your tale."

So they all trooped up to the same room where they had met the Daimyo once before and entered with the same ceremony.

Donatello noticed Shuo Katsu did not raise his head after the first bow, and remained with his forehead pressed to the ground once he was kneeling.

It was Leo who explained things.

"Lord Kawauso, we discovered that Lord Nezumi of the han to the south employed a sorcerer to create the illusion of a ghost. Their plan was to scare you to death and install Shuo Katsu to rule in your place because you have no other Heir. I think Lord Nezumi knew Shuo Katsu would not be able to fight them off and he would be able to take your lands for his own. We defeated them and the sorcerer was killed. We also brought the brooch they used as the base of the spell back with us."

Donatello unfolded the wrapping around the brooch he had kept with himself. At a gesture from the Daimyo, the priest moved to Donatello's side and took the two halves while using his sleeves to keep from touching them with his bare hands. The kannushi shivered.

"My Lord, I sense great evil and magic in these. Such power could easily manifest the spirit we have feared and overpower our ofuda, for they were bound to your shared blood."

The Daimyo nodded. "Very well. Shuo Katsu, explain yourself."

The younger otter at last looked up. He was kneeling beside Donatello, which gave the turtle a clear view of how strongly the pair resembled one another. But his expression was closed, frightened.

"Daimyo, though the evil was Lord Nezumi's, it is I who forged the alliance with him. I...I did not intend to harm your brother. Lord Nezumi...told me he would frighten the Daimyo...that he would be removed by the Shogun but not harmed. That...is why I gave him the brooch from our father. I...only wished to be my father's son."

Lord Kawauso frowned darkly. "Your foolish greed and cowardice have cost my brother his life. They have threatened me. They have put at risk the security of my entire han and all its people, for Nezumi would abuse and destroy what I have inherited. You have dishonored yourself beyond all redemption. You have dishonored the blood we share."

Shuo Katsu gulped and put his head back down to the floor. "I beg my Lord's forgiveness."

The Daimyo scowled. "You will not have it. Honda, take him from my sight."

The young otter shook violently but rose to his feet without having to be hauled by the looming samurai. He went where he was bid with his head down.

The Daimyo turned to the turtles and Usagi and spoke in a very different tone. "You have saved my life and alerted me to the threat of a rival. I am deeply in your debt. We will celebrate your return and your triumph that your heroism and honor and courage be heard and known to all. You may consider yourselves my guests for as long as I am Daimyo if you wish, and be welcome here always."

Usagi bowed low. "Thank you, Lord Kawauso. You are very generous."

"The gift of my life is a precious one. Whatever is in my considerable power to give is yours if you but ask. Wish you lands? A station in my house?"

Usagi shook his head. "No, but thank you, Daimyo. I will remain with my friends while they are here, but my journey will await me when they return home."

"Very well. You are dismissed with my gratitude."

They were barely out of the room when the guards nearby, led by Sato Takeko, surrounded them. They were not satisfied with Leo's short version of the tale, and neither were Splinter and Usagi, so Leo told it again with more detail, this time interrupted frequently by Raph and Mikey. But Donatello was standing to one side, listening and thinking.

When the warriors finally left the turtles, many of whom clearly intended on spreading the story to the other curious and concerned members of the household, Splinter touched his quiet son's arm.

"Donatello? Something troubles you?"

"A lot of things, honestly. I feel like I'm missing something. Like I've got two ends of a string and I can't quite grasp the middle."

"Ah, don't worry about it, Donnie-boy." Raph punched his shoulder lightly. "We're heroes! We did our job. No more ghost, no more trouble!"

But the nagging feeling remained. Even as Donatello followed his brothers to grab something to eat and wash off the dirt of the road, he couldn't quite focus on what was going on around him. He was aware of the preparations for a feast that very night, along with some sort of celebratory party in the village, but none of it seemed to sink in.

It wasn't unusual for the brainiac to be working on something, turning a problem over in his head and falling silent and thoughtful while he tried to piece it apart, and his brothers had long since learned to leave him alone while he figured it out, so they did, instead throwing themselves into the preparations for the evening with happy abandon.

An hour or so before the feast was to begin, one of the Daimyo's messengers delivered a thick bundle to the turtles; their kimono were finished.

The brothers retreated to their room with Master Splinter and Usagi, interested to see what had been made for them. Splinter opened the bundle and reverently drew out each kimono one at a time and handed them around.

"These are well-crafted and very beautiful," he said. "We owe Akako-san our great thanks."

Splinter's own kimono was a deep reddish brown color decorated with elegant cranes. Leonardo's proved to be more indigo than blue, adorned with silver dragons. Raphael's was black with red and white patterns of mountainous landscapes. Michelangelo's was a peach color adorned with cherry blossoms. Donatello's was a rich purple with stalks of green bamboo.

Usagi helped them into their finery, remarking to them all about the symbolism of color and form. Of how the cranes meant longevity and good fortune, Leo's indigo showed him to ward off evil, Raph's mountains were the base of strength, Mikey's blossoms signified his energy and youth, and Don's bamboo spoke to his perseverance in difficulty.

"Akako-san didn't know that much about us," Leo said with an eye-ridge raised.

"I told her which symbols might suit you," Usagi admitted with a small smile. "I am pleased she had such fine materials with which to work."

The celebration that night rivaled the one in the Battle Nexus where the Nexus Daimyo had rewarded Michelangelo for his unparalleled honor after his second battle with Kluh. The turtles were revered as heroes and warriors of consummate virtue, fed piles of delicious foods, and made much of in general. At some point, Honda Ryome suggested they take some time down in the village so that the people could better get to know the ninja who were honorable.

The village seemed to be having something of a spontaneous festival with games and music and merrymaking, too, and the turtles were swept up in it. It was a bit like Halloween in New York, the one time of year they could go out in the open as themselves. Splinter remained with the Daimyo, but Usagi soon brought Leonardo to meet the weaponsmith of the village who supplied blades for the samurai beholden to Lord Kawauso. Raphael and Michelangelo were drawn into the games of chance and skill played in the streets, betting each other outrageously.

But Donatello's distraction led him to wander a bit and he found himself alone on the edge of town near the shrine where the priest lived.

Where a shadow huddled beneath the grand temple gate.

"Who's there?" Donatello called, reaching for his bo.

His only answer was a sniffle.

He crept forward and found a small, familiar otter.

"Akako-san?"

She looked up, eyes wet and wide with tears. "K-Kame-san?"

"My name's Donatello." He scooted to sit beside her. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I...I cannot say. Not to you, Kame-san."

"Sure you can," Donatello said. "I know I'm not really from around here, but I can listen. And I won't tell anyone, if it helps."

But Akako turned away and hid her face in a piece of cloth.

That gave Donatello an idea. "Thank you for the beautiful kimono, Akako-san. I really appreciate it. I know Usagi told us he'd given you the idea of what to use for each of us, but I don't really understand the symbolism yet. Can you tell me what it really means?"

If anything, Akako began to cry a bit harder. "The...the bamboo is a symbol of endurance...that the wind...may blow and...it bends...but never breaks. That it grows...true and high...no matter its adversity."

"And the purple?" Donatello pressed gently.

"Purple...means…" she gasped and could scarcely whisper the words, "enduring love and loyalty."

Donatello leaned closer. "Akako-san, have you lost someone you love?"

"Not yet," she managed. "But I will. My...betrothed."

"What happened to him?"

"He's going to die."

Donatello began to have a sinking feeling in his gut. "Why?"

Akako gulped and masterfully endeavored to control her sobbing. "He is Shuo Katsu. We were to be married. My father arranged it. It was a good match for me, but it was more than that. I've loved him...a long time."

"And the Daimyo will _kill_ him?"

"For his betrayal and dishonor. Yes."

"That's not right. I mean, he did make a mistake, but then he was being used by Lord Nezumi. He didn't really mean to kill anyone. He shouldn't die for that."

Akako actually blinked at him. "Kame-san, if I did not believe it before, I do now. You are _not_ from our world. No honorable warrior would let Katsu live for what he has done. And...no honorable woman would weep for him...because he is not worthy. But...I cannot help it…"

Donatello could guess that hugging her wouldn't be honorable, either, so he didn't try. But while he started to murmur comforting, quiet things, his mind was racing. Much of his earlier sense that something was wrong had come back full strength, but he couldn't focus on it. Whatever was wrong in general was not nearly as troubling as a death sentence for Shuo Katsu.

_It's not right. He shouldn't be put to death for this. I can't let that happen._

Eventually Akako calmed herself enough to realize that anyone else from the village might wander by the pair at any time. She knew that anyone who saw her grief would count it against her, and she dared not allow herself to fall any farther in their estimation. Her station was already in peril, for knowledge of her betrothal had been common.

"Thank you for your concern, Donatello-san," she said, her voice unsteady as she pushed to her feet.

"Akako-san, wait. If...if you could marry Shuo Katsu but you had to leave your village and your father, would you? Do you love him enough to give up everything else?" Donatello rose to face her.

She blinked at him, and then spoke with a conviction and steadiness beyond her age and sorrow.

"It would be the honor of my life to be his wife. I would gladly surrender everything else for that chance."

Don nodded. "Don't give up. Please."

He watched her go towards a small house that was situated between the shrine and the village, making sure she got inside without trouble, then headed off himself. He had to find Leo.

It took some doing and some fast talking to pull his older brother away from discussing his favorite topic outside of training and Bushido and why Raph was a jerk, and he couldn't come up with a good reason to exclude Usagi, but Don did get the pair of them away from the local swordsmith and out to an empty side-street.

"Look," he said. "They're going to execute Shuo Katsu."

Usagi nodded, nonplussed. "Yes, they will. It is the Daimyo's decision and his right."

"It's _not_ right," Don argued. "He's just a kid and he made a mistake!"

"One that could have been fatal to the Daimyo. He is as culpable as if he had crept into the Daimyo's bedchamber with a poisoned dart. Lord Kawauso has chosen not to forgive him this transgression. If he did, he would always be faced with the possibility that Shuo Katsu would again choose the path of treachery."

"Leo, you can't tell me you're okay with this!" Don turned to his brother for support.

Leonardo sighed. "Not really, no. But it's not our world. They have their own laws. We have to respect that. I don't have to like it, but it's not my call."

Donatello stepped backwards as though he had been slugged. "I don't believe this. How can you just…?"

"It's not easy, but this isn't our fight just like dealing with those bandits wasn't our fight," Leo said. "I already talked to Honda Ryome about it and there's just nothing we can do. I'm not _happy_ that Shuo Katsu will die, but it's the Daimyo's right to decide – not ours."

Donatello shook his head and turned away. "I don't know how you can see things that way, Leo. I really don't."

Leo grabbed his shoulder. "Donnie. Listen. I know it bothers you, and it's because you've got a good heart. I'm sorry, bro. But this is how things are sometimes. Don't let it get to you. Okay?"

Donatello shook him off. "No, it's not okay. It's just not."

Before Leo could say anything else, and before Donatello could lose his composure and try to deck his older and far more skilled brother, he strode away.

Behind him, Usagi turned to Leonardo. "It is admirable that he shows compassion for one who has lost his honor, but it is not how things are done here."

"That's Donnie all over. Admirable, but pretty stubborn."

Usagi nodded. "I hope this will not upset him too much."

"I don't think so. Give him some time to get used to the idea and he'll settle down."

If Leonardo had known what Donatello's actions would lead to after he left, he would not have dismissed his brother so easily. It was a decision barely considered, but one that would haunt Leo for years to come.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This additional beautiful piece of fanart was provided by the amazing MsGoodDay. Thank you SO MUCH!!!


	6. Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot comes to a head – and even more falls apart. Fair warning: the cliffhanger at the end of this chapter is a doozy.
> 
> Enjoy!

Donatello returned to the castle and went straight to find one of the guards.

"I want to talk to Shuo Katsu," he said. "Can you take me to where he is being held?"

The guard was surprised but, apparently impressed with the tales of the turtles' bravery and honor in apprehending the one who had tried to harm the Daimyo, simply nodded and led Donatello to a well-guarded building in the inner ring within the castle wall. Inside the building was a grate in the floor that led to a subterranean dungeon. As he climbed down a narrow staircase and stood on the stone floor that was thick with mud and worse, Donatello shivered at the cold leaching from the walls and tried not to think too hard about the old smells of urine and blood that filled the air. He walked through the otherwise empty chamber to where the young otter was chained up against the far wall, sitting on about half of a stool. The guard remained by the entrance, affording them some privacy.

"Are you okay?" Donatello asked. He had to hold his kimono up with both hands to keep it out of the filth on the ground.

Shuo Katsu looked up with haunted, dead eyes. "None have injured me. They will not touch me for fear I will stain them with my dishonor."

"You knew, didn't you? That if you came back with us, you'd die?"

"I hoped the Daimyo would be merciful, but I did not expect it. He has ordered my death to be quick and relatively painless in the morning, sparing me a long imprisonment or much suffering. For that much I am grateful."

"They why come back at all? Why didn't you run away?"

Shuo Katsu's eyes narrowed. "My dishonor can only be removed by death. I owe that death to those whose honor are linked with my own that they might someday find happiness."

"You mean Akako."

Shuo Katsu's expression could not have been more beaten if Donatello had punched him in the face. He just nodded slowly.

"How will you dying help her?"

"When my dishonor is atoned for by my death, she will be released from the cloud of my evil and free to marry another. It is the only way for her to have a life now. Her father will already be seeking another husband for her, one whose honor has not been compromised."

Donatello felt sick to his stomach. "Isn't there anything I can do to help you so you don't have to die? If you escaped, would you be able to run away with her and live someplace else together?"

"No." He shook his head. "I will not damage her honor so. This is the only way, Kame-san. But thank you for your concern. If...if you see Akako...please tell her...how sorry I am."

Donatello wanted to tell him that he could tell her himself, that he would get Shuo Katsu out of this mess and give him back at least some kind of life. But it was a promise he didn't dare make, not yet. Not if he wasn't absolutely sure he could keep it.

"Don't give up," he said though, just as he'd told Akako.

Shuo Katsu blinked at Don. "If you find some way of restoring my honor, Kame, I would be in your debt. But do not impugn your own for my sake. No one else would."

"Well, I'm not anybody else!" Don snapped, turning on his heel. He practically stomped back to the stairs and climbed them in a huff, ignoring the startled expression of the guard.

Donatello headed straight for the castle keep, and for once he didn't pay the slightest attention to the soldiers and samurai around him; he didn't care if they looked on him with disdain or adoration anymore. He hadn't cared a lot to begin with, but right now it didn't matter at all.

His heart was bouncing between fury at Leo for not understanding, disgust at the Daimyo and this world's callous laws, and a steadily-deepening anxiety he could barely explain – this last was the same that had been bothering him almost from his first glance at the Daimyo's bedchamber.

It usually took a lot to get Don worked up to this level. Normally when that happened, he would talk with someone else and pour all his feelings out in words that ran together and sometimes barely made sense; but when Don could set all his thoughts out before a friendly listener, that was when he could put them together. Like taking apart anything else, he needed to spread out the odds and ends and tiny bits so he could see each one before he tried to fit them together in a new shape.

With whom Don usually shared his chaotic inner monologue depended on the day and the subject. April and Leo were often his first go-to listeners, but April wasn't here and Leo had already proved to be dismissive. With most things, next he would have turned to Raph. However, Don wasn't sure he could explain things without sending Raph over the edge with his own sense of righteous injustice (and Raph never ever turned down an excuse to yell at Leo, especially when Leo was actually wrong) and he didn't have the time or patience to try to restrain that reaction. Mikey wasn't always the goofball he presented to the world, and if Don really needed him he would be there for him, but he wasn't sure Mikey could be convinced to take this seriously in the amount of time Don had; usually he gave himself at least an hour to get Mikey to sit still before he even began.

But there was always Master Splinter, and Donatello knew his father would not refuse him.

Donatello entered the keep and went directly to the room his family had been sharing, hoping he wouldn't have to search any farther. But Splinter sat on his mat with his eyes closed, three candles lit before him.

Don closed the door behind him but hesitated. He was in a hurry, true, but a lifetime of training kept him from disrupting his father's meditation without permission or a genuine emergency.

However, he did not need to wait long. Within moments, Splinter opened his eyes.

"Donatello. I sense something troubles you deeply, my son."

Don sighed with profound relief. "Yes, Sensei."

"Come and sit. Perhaps together we may unravel whatever has tied your spirit in such knots."

Donatello gratefully sank to his knees before Splinter, shoving a bit of Mikey's mess out of his way as he did so, though how his brother could spread his belongings over such a large area when they'd been back at the castle less than a day was a mystery Don felt sure science would never fully understand.

As soon as he opened his mouth, all his feelings began to spill in one long rush.

"Master Splinter, I learned tonight that the Daimyo is going to kill Shuo Katsu. And I just...I don't think it's right! I mean, yeah, he made a bad choice asking that other Lord to come and try to scare Lord Kawauso out of his position but...in the end, he was a victim, too. He was practically a prisoner in his own house, and he said he didn't mean to kill the former Daimyo and I believe him. Plus, he came back with us even though he didn't have to – all because he thinks he has to die to restore enough of his honor that Akako can marry somebody else, but she doesn't want to because she really loves him. And I don't know what to do about it!"

Splinter nodded. "A tangled web indeed. I take it you have spoken to your brothers?"

"Raph and Mikey were busy goofing off and I didn't want to bother them. But I talked to Leo and to Usagi and they don't see anything wrong with it! They said it's the Daimyo's right to kill him and we shouldn't interfere with the rules here. Well, Leo doesn't exactly like it, but he doesn't want to try to stop it, either!"

"And is this all that troubles you?"

"No. I mean, I kind of hate finding out that this place isn't all perfect even though logically I knew it couldn't be, but still. I get it, though. This is a living culture and Edo Japan was much the same and you can't just take the good parts of a society and leave out the ones you don't like any more than you can rip the components off a motherboard and expect it to work right."

"I understand your disappointment, my son."

"But there's something still bugging me about this whole thing and I just can't put my finger on it. It's not that I see something wrong, but it feels like there's something missing. And it's so much harder to find what isn't there than it is to spot what's out of place. And maybe I'm wrong and nothing is missing but it's impossible to tell when I don't know anything well enough to form a good baseline for comparison."

Donatello sighed and closed his eyes. "We've been in other dimensions before, and on other planets, and this one shouldn't seem so weird to me because it's a lot more like home than D'Hoonib was, or the Triceraton bases...but...it just feels _wrong_. Alien in a way being halfway across the galaxy wasn't."

"Perhaps," Splinter said slowly, "its very familiarity is what confuses your senses so, my son. For you expect it to be what you know, but it is not."

"It's possible."

Splinter was quiet for a few moments. Then he reached out and set a hand on Donatello's shoulder.

"My son, you, like your brothers, carry the weight of far more than your share in your heart. Just as Leonardo bears the burden of our whole family's safety, you bear the burden to understand what surrounds us because to you is given the gift to do so. You are not comfortable with that which you cannot control or anticipate. And while the world of the Triceratons was alien to you, it was a world of technology, and thus you faced a learning curve but not such helplessness as you experience here."

Donatello could only nod.

"But that is where the value lies in trusting those of us who care for you, my son. When even you are defeated, there will always be the rest of us to carry what you cannot. It is a lesson all four of you struggle to master at times. But I am glad you have come to me now."

Don looked up. "Will you help me, Master?"

"Always and without reservation, my son. For the moment, our priority must be in speaking to the Daimyo on behalf of Shuo Katsu. Guilty though he may be, I, too, am uncomfortable with the idea of taking his life in recompense for his errors."

Splinter's nose flicked slightly. "I am also concerned that Leonardo would so easily dismiss something of such grave importance, but I will speak to him about it after we have ensured Shuo Katsu's safety."

Worry drained away from Donatello like water. "Thank you, father."

"Once we have seen to the most pressing concerns, then we should explore your hesitation in this world more, my son. Perhaps between us we may find a way to help you orient yourself here, or else gain confidence regardless of your lack of comfort."

"Yes, Sensei."

Donatello started to stand, but Splinter held up a hand. "Please. I believe you would do well to take some time for your own meditation. Perhaps it will bring you the peace and insight you seek."

"I don't want you to have to go to the Daimyo on your own. This is sort of my idea."

Splinter smiled at him as he rose. "Your idea, yes, but as your father and head of our Clan, it is my right to speak on your behalf. You have done your part. Let me carry this weight for you, my son."

Don accepted the gift and order, knowing his father's decision was both, ducking his head. "Thank you, Master."

"Wait here. I will speak with the Daimyo now before anything that cannot be undone is done."

Donatello settled into lotus position and closed his eyes, sensing his father leaving the room and beginning to head up to the Daimyo's private chambers.

 _Breathe_ , he told himself. _Stop worrying. Clear your mind. Concentrate. Let the truth make itself known._

Although Donatello had never been as interested in meditation as Leo, he had learned there was value in sometimes quieting his mind. He rarely attempted to achieve that strange state of super-awareness that led to the astral plane Master Splinter frequented, but every now and then he relished the total stillness of self that came from ordinary meditation.

After some indeterminable amount of time feeling the serenity of emptiness creep over him, single thoughts began to bubble up one at a time, slowly, like waves lazily finding the shore.

_I'm sure Master Splinter will find a way to help Shuo Katsu. He doesn't deserve to die._

_Especially since he didn't mean to kill the other Daimyo._

_I wonder what that sorcerer did that was scary enough to kill him._

_What would be scary enough to kill someone?_

_More importantly, how would being scared kill anybody?_

_A heart attack? He was kind of young for that._

_I know Nezumi was taunting Shuo Katsu for being weak, but weak enough to die of fright?_

_If that were true, why did it take five months to work?_

_Or was that the plan at all?_

_Maybe it was a fluke._

_Maybe nobody thought the first Diamyo would die, but he did, and they decided to go for two._

_But how did he die?_

_What did the priest say?_

_The body..._

_The body was rigid with fear. The face was frozen in terror._

_Huh._

_A heart attack shouldn't do that. The muscles would go limp after death._

_A stroke?_

_No, that makes the face go droopy._

_What could make your body freeze up like that?_

_Some kind of poison, maybe. A paralytic?_

_Strychnine causes spasms and rigidity. A relative of that could cause someone to display a facial distortion even after death._

_Wait._

_If Nezumi was poisoning the Daimyo, why scare him?_

_And if poison was part of their plan, wouldn't Shuo Katsu have said so?_

_Nezumi said the Daimyo died of fright when he was talking to his sorcerer._

_They both agreed. They never mentioned poison._

_They were only scaring him and he died._

_But that's impossible._

_It has to be something else, something intentional._

_The first Daimyo has to have been poisoned._

_And Nezumi wasn't doing it._

_Shuo Katsu didn't kill him!_

_Then who did? And why?_

Donatello's eyes snapped open.

He jumped to his feet and snatched up his bo. "There's still a murderer here!" He bolted from the room.

Just as Don reached the main door of the keep, he encountered the priest himself just leaving.

"Good evening, Hamato Kame-san," the priest greeted him politely. "I hope you have enjoyed yourself. I am told the best of the festivities only begins now that the sun has set, but I fear I am too old to share in such revels anymore."

"Kannushi-san, let me ask you a question," Donatello said in a rush, aware of the fact that he was behaving rudely but not caring. "It's about the former Daimyo's, uh, remains."

He had to be sure.

The priest frowned. "Yes?"

"Are you _absolutely certain_ that the former Daimyo's body and face were frozen in terror? Not limp?"

The priest wrinkled his nose with distaste. "I am certain. The image will haunt me all my days."

 _Oh shell._ "Where is the Daimyo now?"

The abrupt switch clearly unsettled him, but the priest answered. "In his chambers with your Clan leader, Kame-san."

_Good. Master Splinter will protect him._

"Can you tell me if the former Daimyo was alone with anyone the day he died?"

"He was guarded all throughout the day by his most loyal samurai, as were his chambers. The only time he was alone was in his bedchamber and only after the guards had secured it and my assistant and I had performed the day's final purification rites."

The knot of anxiety that had bothered Donatello for days burst to life.

_I could be wrong. Ancestors, I hope I'm wrong!_

Donatello changed topics again, keeping the priest disoriented. It was the only way to surprise honesty out of him. "Kannushi-san, other than Shuo Katsu, who would benefit if Lord Kawauso died and another was declared Daimyo in his place?"

"The Daimyo has not yet designated a proper Heir, so it would fall to Shuo Katsu. There is no one else."

"Except Akako-san, if the marriage had been in place."

"I suppose. She would be the wife of the Daimyo, which would bring great honor and wealth to her and her family." The priest's words began to slow as his eyes narrowed.

_Akako. Who is betrothed to Shuo Katsu. Whose betrothal was arranged by somebody to be a good match. Who lives between the shrine and the village._

"Who is Akako-san's family?" Donatello demanded.

The priest swallowed thickly. "My assistant Jurou is her father, her only living relative."

Donatello's heart leaped into his throat beating a million beats a minute. "Where is he now?"

The priest was swaying where he stood and Don had to grab his arm to steady him. "I…"

" _Where is he?_ "

"I left him to remove the prayers from the Daimyo's chambers."

Donatello's first instinct was to start bellowing for help. But his brain interrupted him before he could do more than take a deep breath and overbalance himself. He swayed in place while his thoughts flew.

_If I start panicking and causing a mess, anything could go wrong. The guards could try to stop me because they don't like me. I could spook the assistant into doing something drastic. I could expose a lot of innocent people to the poison. Shell. I've got to do this carefully._

Donatello squeezed the arm of the priest. "Kannushi-san, you _have_ to trust me. I hope I'm wrong, but I know you are starting to suspect the same thing I am."

"...Yes, I fear I am." He sounded rather breathless.

"I'll go upstairs. I'll try to handle things. But I don't want to start a panic. We have to keep things from getting out of hand, or it could end really badly for all of us. Okay?"

"Of course." The priest visibly pulled himself together. "What can I do?"

"The guards don't trust me, but they trust you. Send someone to get Honda Ryome and bring him here. Get my brothers, too. Tell them it's an emergency but don't let anyone sound the alarm. As soon as they get here, tell them what's going on. Get a healer, too, if you can."

"And what will you do when you arrive upstairs?"

"I'll try to keep your assistant from hurting anyone. And hope this is all for nothing."

 _But it isn't_ , Donatello's gut was absolutely sure.

"Go, Kame-san. I will do as you say." The priest pushed through the doors and went straight to one of the guards.

Donatello turned and started up the stairs to the Daimyo's chambers above. He wanted to run at full speed, but he didn't dare. He couldn't arouse suspicions or he risked being stopped. And worse would be alerting Jurou to anything amiss.

_If he doesn't know anyone has caught onto what he's doing, he won't be desperate yet. So he won't do anything stupid that might risk getting himself killed. I hope. I just need to keep him calm while I figure out where the poison is and how it is administered. Strychnine can be fatal if you touch it, eat it, or breathe it in. He could have set it up to be delivered in practically any form._

Donatello forced himself into the same mindset he was required to adopt when he served as resident medic for his family. Doctors were prevented from working on family members or friends because a lack of objectivity could result in dangerous mistakes; Donatello had been obligated to teach himself to disassociate his rational thinking from his feelings to remain focused when lives were in his hands.

_Master Splinter is up there, but don't think about him that way. It's just a mission. Stop the bad guy with the deadly poison. Worry about everything else later._

In an inner fold of the yards of fabric that made up the kimono, Donatello's fingers found one of the few devices he had brought with him that worked – the Shell Cells were useless in a world without satellites, and even the walkie-talkies he had tried to make functional could barely transmit a signal for no reason Don could readily determine. But this one worked.

_I've also got my shurikens and climbing spikes since I never take those out of my belt. And my smallest emergency med kit that I stuck in there when I left the Shell Cell out. Which won't do a shell of a lot of good, probably, but it's got an ace I can use if I'm desperate._

Walking slowly was painful enough; actually going back to the packs for anything more would have felt like passing through shards of glass. Donatello would make do with what he had rather than waste even a second of precious time.

Reaching the Daimyo's floor, Donatello nodded to the guards who looked at him warily but did not immediately move to prevent his passage. Don tried to keep his whole body neutral, assuming the guards would read aggression or fear in his movements the way others could read body language like a book. He offered the guards a polite half-bow.

"Master Splinter is consulting with the Daimyo. May I join them?"

It took everything Donatello had not to shout at them while they paused to consider his request. But after a moment, one nodded.

"Go ahead, Kame."

"Thank you." _And I'm really sorry about this._

Donatello walked past the pair of guards keeping his whole body relaxed and unthreatening. The guards watched him for a moment but then turned back to the hallway they were meant to be monitoring.

The instant they both turned their backs to him, Donatello turned on silent ninja feet and attacked. Two blows so fast they could barely be seen later, he had brought the guards down silently. Don caught both falling bodies with his outstretched arms so he could lower them to the floor without their armor crashing on the hard wood.

Once they were down, he stripped out of his kimono and all its under layers so he could get to his belt more easily. He slid his bo home to its proper place on his shell and picked up the only piece of equipment left to him – one he wouldn't normally have had on him at all except he had been thinking about testing its range if he got bored with the party.

He slid the heat-sensing goggles over his eyes and crept to the door to the Daimyo's audience chamber.

_Three heat sources. That one has to be the Daimyo in the middle of the room. And there's Master Splinter. And...shell. He's here. Working on taking down prayer scrolls in the far corner. Or maybe not – maybe he's just pretending. Doesn't matter. The Daimyo and Master Splinter are between me and him and I have to assume he has the poison ready to go._

_Shell. How am I going to do this?_

_What if Jurou is immune or works with an antidote and doesn't have to worry about being exposed? What if he's already released the poison into the air?_

_Then whatever happens to the Daimyo and Master Splinter will happen to me, too._

Donatello's skin prickled with sudden awareness. _Sensei knows I'm here._

_Please, father. Please sense the danger you're in!_

Don hesitated, buying time to think while he yanked the goggles off and dropped them on his kimono. He knew he needed to do something, but he was afraid any move might be the wrong one. Raph would have just charged in hollering, but Don was certain that wouldn't end well. Mikey...Don couldn't even guess what he would do or how it would end. Leo would sneak into the room without being seen in that creepy invisible way of his.

_Think! I'm the brainiac, so get to work, brain! Can't go forward, can't go sideways. What's left?_

_Go around behind. Get inside their defenses before they know I'm there._

Donatello formulated a plan between one heartbeat and the next and tapped on the door with urgency. Before even waiting for a response, he pushed it open.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt," he said quickly. "But it's an emergency. Shuo Katsu's escaped!"

"Escaped!" The Daimyo rose to his feet from his seat on the dais in the center of the room. "How is this possible?"

Donatello was moving into the chamber, keeping his eyes on all three other occupants. Splinter was watching Donatello closely, keenly aware of his son's deception but not the reason for it. In the far corner, Jurou had frozen and was staring at him with horror.

"I don't know, my Lord. They're searching for him now. Everyone's looking, but they think he's already outside the wall."

_Just a little farther._

The Daimyo frowned. "I've heard no alarm. And why do you come and not one of my samurai? Where is Honda?"

"Trying to catch Shuo Katsu before he gets away."

"Wait! What are you doing?" The Daimyo took a half-step back as Donatello drew even with his position.

Donatello could discern the instant Jurou realized he was in danger. "Look out!" he shouted.

Moving before he could really think about it, Donatello grabbed for the Daimyo, bodily flinging him away from Jurou's corner. He came up with his bo in his hands and the Daimyo landed in a heap several yards away.

Jurou held up a small sack, his thin arms shaking. "You wretched Kame! You will die for this!"

Donatello needed to buy time. "Calm down, Jurou-san. You don't have to do this."

"I do! Shuo Katsu will become Daimyo and I and my daughter will be elevated with him!"

"Not now that he's escaped custody," Donatello said, trying to keep his voice even while his fingers went almost numb on his bo from his tense grip. "Right now, anything you do at this point will just get you killed and maybe Akako too. You've got everything to lose if you use that stuff now."

The mention of Akako seemed to calm some of the hysterical light in Jurou's eyes. "She...would die?"

"Do you really think the samurai won't believe she had something to do with this? They'll punish her for what you do if you do it now. Please. Put it down."

"My son, what is it?" Splinter asked, moving to his son's elbow and bracing himself in a defensive position.

"Poison. He was going to poison the Daimyo before they killed Shuo Katsu to make sure there wasn't an Heir to keep Shuo from being named the next Daimyo."

"You! You killed my brother!" Lord Kawauso raged. "You will suffer for this!"

"No, don't say that." Don turned to him, waving urgently. "Offer him mercy if he surrenders peacefully."

"He won't," came a broken laugh from Jurou. "I am dead already, Kame." The insane light returned to his eyes. "But if we all die now, the last victims of the ghost, then as long as Shuo Katsu lives, Akako will be the wife of the next Daimyo."

"Don't!"

Jurou opened the sack of powder and flung it.

Instinctively, Donatello held his breath and turned away, knowing that without the kimono to protect him, his skin was going to absorb the powder and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He felt Splinter move beside him.

"Splinter-san!" the Daimyo shouted.

Donatello looked up to a sight that very nearly broke his heart.

Splinter had leaped into the air and wrapped his whole body around the bag of deadly powder. Like a soldier falling on a grenade, only some of the lethal white substance floated in the air – the rest was covering the courageous, elderly rat instead.

Donatello couldn't move. But the Daimyo did.

Lord Kawauso drew the ceremonial blade that always hung at his side. But it was not ceremonial now. With the training of the samurai he had been before his own elevation to Daimyo fueling his rage, he charged for the dishonorable murderer. Jurou did not even attempt to evade the blow.

The Daimyo speared his sword through Jurou's body.

But even as Jurou fell, so too did Lord Kawauso, coughing. He dropped his blade and touched his face, realizing that Jurou had wiped a heavy handful of powder onto his fur even as he died.

Sounds behind spurred Donatello back into action. He lunged forward, grabbed the arm of the Daimyo, and yanked him towards the door, not opening his mouth to breathe the poison that was present in the air. He dragged the Daimyo clear and then went back for his father, beginning to hear the sound of feet racing up the stairs and into the hallway beyond.

Help had come, but far too late.

Splinter had clamped down his own jaws and even flattened his nose a bit trying to keep the poison from reaching his lungs, but there was no denying it was all over his body. Moving slowly, achingly slowly to prevent disturbing the dust as much as possible, he had carefully let the sack of powder slip through his arms to the floor. Once it was there, he began to extricate himself, still attempting not to stir it up into the air.

When Donatello reached him, Splinter could see that his son was still holding his breath, but was bare-skinned and at risk. Already, he could feel a burning itch underneath his fur, especially on his vulnerable paws.

Donatello reached for his father, but Splinter shook his head sharply, dislodging some of the dust into the air.

Tears welled in Donatello's eyes that had nothing to do with the pricking pain he, too, felt from the deadly concentration of powder in the air that was beginning to settle on them both.

Moving with controlled slowness, Splinter stripped out of his kimono, carefully turning it inside-out to try to contain the poison already contaminating it. He placed it over the deadly bag to keep any more from escaping. Then he took one of the under layers he had worn and ran it over his exposed fur as best he could.

His paws shook before he was done, and the pain grew and moved inward, causing his joints to ache.

Behind them, the Daimyo was still coughing, but was able to tell the guards who had rushed to him what was wrong.

"Donnie! Master Splinter!" Leo's voice was sheer panic.

Donatello turned only just in time to keep his brothers back with urgent hand-signals.

And then Usagi was there, too, his face and mouth covered save for his eyes. He shoved through the Daimyo's guards and crossed part of the distance of the room, staying just clear of where the once-clean floorboards showed the evidence of the chalky white powder that continued to drift to the ground.

"Quickly, Donatello-san. You must consume these. Mix them if you can." He balled up a double-handful of herbs in a cloth and tossed them.

Donatello grabbed them out of the air and went to where Splinter was leaning against a wall, as far from the deadly sack of dust as he could get. Donatello crushed the herbs in his hands, his strength strangely sapped though he didn't know if it was from fear or poison.

Either one or both was making his thoughts slow and his body clumsy.

He rolled them between his hands like clay, feeling them squish and snap and crumble. Then he opened the cloth to reveal mushed dry leaves and small chunks of plants and a few leaking berries. He held the cloth out to his father. And shivered as the strange prickling on his skin became an ache.

Splinter cupped his paws and Donatello began to dump the herbs into them. But when just half the herbs had been shared, Splinter drew back, his eyes speaking for him. He brought his handful to his mouth and unflinchingly consumed them.

Donatello continued to hold out the other half, though he was also starting to sway a bit.

"Please." Don whispered, releasing a bit of his precious air. "Please, father."

Splinter's heart broke at his son's generosity and he could not deny him even this much.

He closed his eyes and extended his paws once again. But instead of letting Donatello pour the entirety of what remained into them, he picked some of what was left up and ate it. This time, his expression brokered no argument; Donatello would eat what he still had in his hands and that was an order.

Donatello closed his eyes and shoved the last of the herbs into his mouth, finding them uncomfortably bitter and tangy and sharp on his tongue. His eyes streamed partially from holding his breath, partially from the building pain, and partially from fear.

"This way!" Leo was shouting now, having wrapped his own head in Donatello's discarded kimono. "We need to get you both cleaned off now!"

Donatello blinked in surprise when his brother strode to the other end of the room and kicked out the supports that had sealed the window shut. He was even more surprised when Raph joined him. It took them mere seconds to make a hole several people wide in the wall.

And then his foggy brain remembered that there was a garden outside the keep on that side, small, but complete with a pond. He started towards them, Splinter at his side. Both of them moved strangely, as though their limbs were not entirely under their control.

The moment they were clear of the contaminated area, leaving eerie footprints in the powder marking their passage, Leo and Mikey got to either side of Splinter and grabbed him. Without warning, they jumped from the window and dove into the pond.

"Hang on, bro. I gotcha," Raph said low in Don's ear. Don thought he was falling – and he might have – but Raph held him tightly. The instant Leo and Mikey surfaced with Splinter and paddled to one side in the water below, Raph jumped and hauled Donatello with him.

When he hit the cold water, Donatello remembered he was still holding his breath and he tried to get another one. His mouth filled with water and he coughed and choked, vaguely aware of Raph pounding on his back after he hauled him to the surface. His vision swam at the pools of light surrounding him, the lanterns from the celebration not yet extinguished and needed far more now than they had been before.

A moment later, Don blinked at the hazy form of Leo looking at him. "What happened?" Leo asked. "What is this stuff?" He blinked at his own palm which was beginning to hurt where he had touched his father's arm.

And then Usagi was there, bobbing beside them, having made the jump himself. "I know this poison well. It is one of the worst in our lands, though it dissolves and becomes mostly inert in water. All exposed to it are in grave danger."

Donatello's eyes started to feel funny and he tried to close them. He couldn't. All his muscles seemed to be fighting with him.

"What can we do?" Leo demanded. He was trying to help Mikey scrub at Splinter's fur. Splinter hung limply in Mikey's arms, mostly submerged.

"Other than find more herbs like those I already gave them, we can only wait. If they can last the the night, they may recover. But I am...deeply concerned. I have never heard of such a large dose ever being used, let alone survived."

Donatello's fingers jumped against his will, but he managed to scrabble numbly at his belt.

"Easy, Donnie. You're gonna be okay," Raph said in his ear, still holding him in the water, which was good because left alone Donatello thought for sure he wouldn't be able to float.

"Sensei…" Donatello managed, though his tongue felt swollen. "Give him...this."

He got the small needle clear of its pouch but couldn't seem to hold it up.

Raph took it out of his hands and handed it to Leo. "What is it?"

"Ad...ren...l'n." Donatello fought the encroaching darkness. "If he...stops...breathhhhh…"

"We got it," Leo said. "I know what to do."

"Mmmm…sorry….'mmm sorry…mmmmmy...faul...t..."

Raph shook him. "Hang in there, Donnie! Don't you give up on us!"

_Never._

And he fell into nothingness.

* * *


	7. Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left in Act 1 and we'll swing straight into Act 2. I'm still so glad to have all of you along for this ride!
> 
> Enjoy!

Leonardo was absolutely certain he would never forget an instant of that night.

From the moment the messenger reached him in the village, Leo's heart had not stopped quaking. He had run with all speed back to the keep, meeting Raph and Mikey along the way and seeing the same terror reflected in their eyes. Then he had practically had to draw his blades to be allowed past the guards who had gathered in the hallway to the Daimyo's room but dared not approach.

And for the rest of his life, Leo was certain he would dream about the sickening sight of his father and brother coated with deadly powder, both gamely holding their breath while the Daimyo himself coughed blood.

He would remember the stinging in his hands when he had grabbed onto Master Splinter's thin arms to dive with him into the pond, realizing that if only a few specks of dust could cause such hurt, that his father must have been in sheer agony. He would remember not breaking down – but how he kept his composure he just didn't know – when Splinter passed out before even reaching the pond. He would remember scrubbing at the familiar grey fur while Raph made the dive with Donatello. He would remember Donatello's strangely jerking motions, his eyes that seemed to get wider and wider, his stuttering words.

And he would remember the spasms that took them both at almost the same moment.

Leo had read about seizures, had seen them imitated on television, but nothing could have prepared him for the violent jerking of muscles that had no control, of a body that seemed to be fighting to climb out of itself through its own skin and flesh. He didn't know which was worse – that Splinter's eyes had stayed closed, his face locked in a horrible grimace that was a nightmare version of a smile, or that Donatello's eyes couldn't seem to close but he was clearly not present in them, not able to see or sense anything of himself while his body convulsed.

It had taken all four of them – Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Usagi – working together to keep Splinter and Donatello from drowning in either the pond or their own vomit, to keep them from hurting themselves, and to still try to scrape the deadly powder from Splinter's wet fur. By the time more people had come to help, soldiers and servants dressed in cloth that covered their entire bodies, Leo thought he should have died a hundred times.

His heart felt as though it had.

But somehow, even though every movement seemed to cause them relentless pain – if what Splinter and Donatello were suffering could be called pain – they endured.

While they cleaned the limp, sometimes-spasming bodies in the pond before carrying them at a run to shelter, Usagi had spoken in a low, tense voice.

"They will begin like this, with such attacks of involuntary motion. Then they will begin to run fevers, dangerously high. When the fever reaches its peak, they will struggle to breathe. If they do not suffocate and do not die of sheer exhaustion, they may recover. By dawn, we will know one way or another."

Leo would have given _anything –_ his honor, his body, his blood, his life, his soul – for Usagi's prediction to have been wrong.

But it was not.

When the fevers came, both father and son burned as though they had swallowed fire.

"What do we do?" Mikey asked, looking at them lying on pallets and trembling while sweat ran from them and pooled underneath them.

Leo shook himself. _Lead now. Panic later._

"Remember when Raph got sick that one time when we were kids? Before we had medicine?"

"Before we had _heat_ ," Raph said in a low, empty rasp as unlike his own growl as laughter.

"Right. Master Splinter didn't trust the moving water in the sewers, but we got a big pail and put him in it."

"And every time the water got warm, we changed it," Mikey finished. "Yeah. I remember now."

"Can we put 'em back in that pond?" Raph asked.

Usagi stepped up and shook his head. "The guards will not let anyone near until the keep has been made safe. The risk of poison is too great. And I fear that moving them would only trigger more attacks."

"Then how…?" Leo began.

"We must bathe them in as much water as we can claim, knowing that our need will be second to that of the Daimyo. But we cannot let his life outweigh theirs." And Usagi's eyes went hard and cold.

"Just tell us what to do," Mikey said, and he was almost begging.

"I will acquire the water we need," Usagi said. "I cannot promise my methods will be kind, but I will not go so far as to bring down the wrath of the already furious guards upon us."

"Good enough for me," Raph said. His hands curled into shaking fists. "But if they give you too much trouble…"

Leo met his eyes and nodded once, a silent order. _Do what you have to, Raph. I don't want to hurt anybody either, but if someone has to die, I can't let it be our family._

Usagi caught the looks the pair exchanged and nodded as well. "I will do my best to keep things from getting so far."

"I'm comin' with ya."

"Yes, and quickly." And Usagi led Raph away.

Mikey turned to Leo. "Now what?"

Before Leo could answer Donatello gave a muffled shout and his body began to flail.

Leo dropped onto Don's body without a second-thought. "Get his legs!"

Michelangelo raced to obey, flinging his weight across his brother's furious kicking. "Stop it, Donnie!"

"He can't help it." Leo grit his teeth as one of Don's elbows got into the scutes between his plastron and shell and jabbed hard. Leo shifted his grip, using his weight to pin Don's arms down. It freed up a hand so he could grab a scrap of fabric nearby.

Leo got his knuckles half-bit for his trouble, but he wadded up the cloth and shoved it into Don's mouth before his brother could bite off his own tongue.

"Just hold on," Leo told Mikey as the seizure continued. Leo knew from some medical TV show long ago that pinning down someone who was seizing was actually not the right way to handle it, but he also remembered what Don had said about it.

" _Humans suffering a seizure can hurt themselves and each other pretty badly. The advice to let a seizing person go unrestrained is mostly to protect bystanders, but also to keep someone well-meaning from doing more damage like breaking an arm by trying to hold it wrong. It's different for us. We're too strong and too flexible. If we aren't prevented, we could do irreparable damage to ourselves. But we could also do it to each other. We just have to decide what risk we're willing to take."_

 _I don't care if you break every bone in my body_ , Leo thought fiercely. _I will not let you be hurt anymore, Donnie. This...this is already too much._

He didn't need to glance over his shoulder to know Michelangelo felt the same way.

As the seizure continued, it got harder and harder to hold onto Don's body; sweat was rolling off him thickly and it made him slippery. Mikey took a knee to the shoulder when he lost his grip for a moment, but he never wavered. He redoubled his efforts even as he shouted at his helpless brother.

"Don! Quit it! Don't make me go all Battle Nexus Champion on your shell!"

 _I'm not sure that would help_ , Leo thought. But he couldn't keep a small smile from trying to bloom. _Leave it to Mikey to try to irritate Don into waking up with the only ammunition he has left._

_If it were Raph, it might even work._

The seizure ended about five minutes before Raph and Usagi returned.

The pair came running in with a huge bucket held between them and a bag slung over Raph's shoulder.

Raph dropped the bucket between Don and Splinter's beds, not spilling a drop. "This is as cold as it gets." He started unpacking rags from the bag.

Leo looked up. "Should I go back to the lair, maybe get some ice?"

Usagi peered at the pair fighting the poison and shook his head. "Not now. Wait until sometime after dawn. Until then…"

Leo heard what he didn't say. _Until then, one or both of them could die at any time. They shouldn't die without me here beside them._

While Leo had hesitated, Raph and Mikey had already begun soaking the rags in the bucket. As soon as they were damp and cool, Raph pulled one out, wrang some of the water from it, and laid it gently across Donatello's forehead. Beside him, Mikey repeated the process for Splinter.

Usagi crouched beside them. "I do not know much about your anatomy, my friends, but for one such as Splinter, there will be certain places on his body that will more effectively cool him."

Leo blinked. "Right. Pulse points. Where the ki gathers."

Usagi nodded. "The throat, particularly the spine at the base of the head, the wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles, as well as the inner thigh and the tops of the feet."

"Help Raph," Leo said. Usagi nodded and began gathering cloths to put at these places on Splinter.

Leo knelt back beside Donatello, thinking. _Our points aren't entirely different from a mammal's, but there's a trick to getting around the shell._ He exchanged a glance with Mikey who shifted to be able to hand Leo rags as he reached for them.

One by one, Leo packed the cool cloths around his brother's body.

Raph suddenly gave a wordless snarl. "This ain't workin'! He's making the washcloths hot as soon as we put 'em down!"

Usagi did not even bother to look up from his work. "Then we will change them continuously."

Leo had come to the same conclusion himself. It seemed that he had only just finished wrapping Don's feet when the cloths at his temples and neck were warm and drying.

_But it doesn't matter. We'll do this all night if it helps._

It seemed like it took only a few minutes for the bucket of water to run low. Leo sent Mikey with Raph for more while he and Usagi made do with what they had.

"My friend," Usagi said, not looking away from his charge. "I am...profoundly sorry."

Leo shook his head, settling his gaze away from Don's face. "Don't be. This isn't your doing."

"But had you not come to my assistance…"

"It's not your fault, Usagi. We all walked in here knowing it could be dangerous. It's _always_ dangerous." His throat closed and he had to take a deep breath to clear it. "And we always get through it. No matter what."

Despair swamped Leo, but he forced it down.

" _No matter what._ " The words were vow and certainty and desperate need all in one.

Mikey and Raph returned with the water just as Splinter's body tensed and began to thrash.

Usagi at once pounced and held the ninja Master as best he could, but Splinter was far too strong and bucked him off easily. Raph and Leo both joined his efforts, leaving Mikey to watch Don and work on the washcloths while the three tried to keep Splinter from harm.

Raph was closest to his father's face as the seizure began to abate and called out, "Turn 'im! Quick!"

They did so, and just in time, for Splinter began to retch again – and if not for his position, might have choked.

The combination of the smell from that, of the sweat, of the herbs, and the sheer terror finally became too much and Mikey bolted outside where he threw up as well, hot tears streaming down his face and only partially from the force of his nausea.

But even as he was sick on the ground, he could not stop his mind from whirling.

_Gotta get back in there. Gotta help. They could...they might…_

_No...please no…_

And then Michelangelo's spirit rallied.

_Donnie would never ever die on me. He wouldn't! He knows what I'd do to his stuff if he tried it._

_If I'm there...he'll be fine._

_And Master...he's stronger than anything. No stupid poison is going to take him down when the Shredder couldn't._

_If I'm not there when he wakes up, he might think I wasn't helping._

_I am helping. I need to help. It's one thing to be a goofball and it's something else to let my family down._

_And I've never ever let them down when it mattered._

Michelangelo wiped his face and spit the last of the awful-tasting stuff from his mouth. He took a deep breath and forced himself to go back in.

Leo looked up at him. "You okay?"

Mikey shrugged. "I'm here."

"Good enough. Help me with Don again."

So they continued for a couple of hours as the night stretched onward. The fevers raged and, as Usagi had warned, seemed to grow worse. The water was cooling, but nothing could stop the inferno in the poison's helpless victims. And as time went on, exhaustion began to take its toll as well; soon both Donatello and Splinter were breathing as though they had run for hours, their chests expanding and contracting with effort they did not have to spare.

As Raph was taking a turn with Donatello, watching his breathing closely, he looked up suddenly. "Leo! Ain't there somethin' about fevers and brains?"

It was Mikey who sucked in a breath that sounded like a sob. "If your temperature gets really, really high it can...it can cause brain damage."

Raph looked back at Don, and his vision went white. "No. No _way_. Not _Donnie_."

_Not Donnie who is all brain and heart, whose heart would break if his brain was broke. Not Donnie who has saved our lives more times than I can count with that genius of his. Not Donnie who would probably rather die than not be able to do all the things he can do._

Leo raised his head and could almost count the thoughts chasing themselves across Raph's expression. One part of him, the clinical, detached leader, wanted him to warn Raph that the fevers might already be too high and that there was no telling what result there could be when or if Don or Master Splinter ever woke up.

But the other part needed to agree with Raph and that was the part that mattered.

"He'll pull through, Raph. They both will. They wouldn't dare let anything happen to them when they know we need them."

Raph let out a shuddering breath. "Yeah. You're probably right."

"Leonardo!" Usagi's upraised voice drew all eyes to where he crouched by Master Splinter. "He has stopped breathing!"

Cold like a glacier dumped into Leo's entire body. But not a paralyzing cold. This was the cold of adrenaline, of focus, of battle.

The cold that freed his thoughts to race before disaster could strike.

Moving at a speed he normally reserved for shoving brothers out of the way of bullets, Leo darted across the room to where he had dropped Don's belt and stuff. His fingers came up with a thin tube.

_Don's last conscious act. He knew it might come to this even as he was going under._

_And it's going to save our father's life._

In an instant he was back beside Splinter where all activity had ceased and all eyes were on the still, unmoving chest.

Mikey almost grabbed for Leo but stopped just short of impeding him. "Leo?"

"Hang on, Sensei."

Leonardo pulled the syringe from its protective case. He spared one moment to align his thoughts with the lesson from Don so long ago.

" _If the heart is still beating, put it into a large mass of muscle somewhere near the central torso – in humans, they design adrenaline injectors to go into the outer thigh, for example. If the heart isn't beating, though, the shot has to go directly into the heart muscle."_

_I told you then that I didn't think I could do it, that I wouldn't know where to strike. You told me not to worry, that you knew and you'd take care of us._

_You're not here. But I will take care of us in your absence, Donnie. I promise._

Leo grabbed for Splinter's throat and could have cried when he felt a thready pulse under his fingers. He shoved aside some of the damp washcloths and stuck the needle into his father's leg just as Don had once showed him on a human. He pushed the plunger and released the life-giving drug into Splinter's body.

_Please, father. Please don't leave us._

There was a horrible moment, and then Splinter's chest expanded once more and air flowed.

"Usagi," Leo said, breathless himself, "bring us Don's big med-pack. He usually carries two or three of these. We might need them."

Usagi rose and was off on feet that were almost as swift and silent as any ninja's. Leo could guess that the keep might still be under guard, but he also knew that Usagi would not fail to retrieve what might mean the difference between life and death.

_Just hold on until then, Master Splinter._

Leo had not thought there could be something worse than the seizures, but now he knew the silence where breathing should be – and it was far, far worse.

The three turtles listened to Splinter's breathing for several minutes. Their tension did not begin to wane from its extraordinary heights until, even after the jolt of adrenaline must have worn off, their father continued to breathe on his own.

Mikey put his face down into the bed which was strewn with damp cloths and shivered. He did not cry – he didn't dare cry when who only knew what would happen next? – but he couldn't look up, not right then. Not when it had been so, so close.

After resting a hand on his father's shoulder for a moment to reassure himself, Raph leaned near to Don's head and spoke low and intently.

"Your brain, bro. Even on death's door you're still savin' us. Don't you _dare_ give up. We need you like we need _air_ , Donnie. You gave back Master Splinter. Don't you dare let this take you away from us now."

Leo could not think Don wouldn't live long enough to wake and learn that his last act of selflessness had been to save their father – because he could not let himself think that either one of them might be lost – so he didn't think it. He just continued to fight for their lives and prayed that they kept on fighting too even in the depths of their illness.

-==OOO==-

With the keep being thoroughly cleaned, the Daimyo had been removed to one of the other buildings within the castle and was being cared for by the castle healers and the priest. Donatello and Splinter had been brought to another building, rapidly emptied for their use. And because they had saved the Daimyo, the healers began making trips to them as the hours passed, bringing teas brewed of herbs like those Usagi had given them.

But in truth, there was nothing anyone could do but wait and see if the sunrise brought life or death with it.

Somewhere before dawn, Leo looked up from where he had been sitting in vigil between the mats as the door opened.

Mikey appeared with an armload of stuff. "Give me a hand with this," he said, agitation making him sound more tired than he was.

"What is it?" Raph asked, climbing to his feet from his own spot in the far corner where he had been glaring at a wall for twenty quiet minutes.

"I thought maybe we should do that thing Don did in Mitsu's village for me and Yoshi and everybody else to make it easier for them to breathe. Usagi's out getting more herbs from the village, but the guards helped me find this cookpot and everything."

Leo felt his own energy revive. "Mikey, that's a really good idea. Here. Set it up right here," and he moved away from the place between their two heads.

Raph stood to help and in minutes the three of them had a small fire burning in one of the huge cookpots used to make food for all the soldiers. Then they hung another pot over it and filled it with water and green tea leaves. They had to fuss with the fire to keep it burning as smokelessly as possible, but soon the whole room was filling with the hot, moist air.

Donatello twitched and moaned in his unconsciousness, but that was all he could do – it was all either of them could manage trussed tightly as they were. It had nearly broken Leo's heart to tie his brother and father down, even if it was for their own safety against any more seizures. The pair looked staked out on their mats as if for dissection.

Nobody had objected when Raph had found two pieces of thin material – thin because the fevers were dangerous before adding blankets – to cover them, giving the impression they were tucked in bed and not lashed down.

"It's almost medicine time," Leo realized.

While the green tea boiled and cast fragrant steam into the air, he made his way to the end of the room where he had, in the past hours, become a master with mortar and pestle, grinding the herbs Usagi brought into a paste thinned with water. This he divided up into eight doses – three for Splinter, two for Donatello, and one each for himself, Raph, and Mikey. Usagi had not needed to convince them that they, too, must survive their slight exposure to the poison, for if they fell to it, there would be none to save those who were already in so much more danger.

Still, it felt to Leo like swallowing knives, knowing he was taking a portion of the only hope for his father and brother away from them.

"Eat yours," came Raph's voice from behind him, "or I'll give up mine, too."

"Me too," Mikey said.

Leo looked up to them. "You would both…?"

Raph crossed his arms. "We _all_ get through this, Leo, or we all go down. I'd give mine to 'em, too, but I...I don't want you to have to tell Master Splinter why I'm not there to see him when he wakes up."

Leo felt his throat close with emotion and he just nodded. He separated the paste into eight parts and handed them out. The three in the bowl for Master Splinter he poured carefully and slowly into his father's mouth while Mikey did the same for Donnie.

And then they went back to waiting, sometimes adding water to the tea, sometimes a few sticks to the fire beneath it, sometimes running a wet, cool cloth over bodies that burned within.

"What's gonna happen?" Mikey asked an eternity of quiet later.

"They're gonna be fine," Raph said with staunch certainty. "They're tough. They can make it."

Leo didn't dare disagree. He couldn't bear it.

"They shouldn't have to," he found himself saying instead. "We should have stopped this."

Raph looked at him. "It ain't our fault, Leo. We couldn't've known."

"Donnie figured it out," Leo said.

"Not until way later," Mikey said. "I mean, we maybe shoulda been with them, but how could we figure out that the other Daimyo was poisoned and it had something to do with Akako? That's, like, Sherlock-Holmes level conduction."

"Deduction," Leo corrected automatically. "I know. But…"

"You can't be perfect, Leo. You better not try. Don't get too big for your shell," Raph said.

"I just...I feel like I should have been able to protect them."

Raph shrugged. "Couldn't protect them from what we didn't know was coming."

"We did our best," Mikey said in a voice that sounded a little small. "They know that."

Leo closed his eyes. But before he could answer, there came a knock on the door.

"My friends?" Usagi peeked his head in. "I am sorry to disturb you but, Leonardo-san, the priest would like to speak with you."

"With me?" Leo got to his feet, exchanging a glance with his brothers.

"Yes. He wishes you to join him in audience with Lord Kawauso." Usagi stepped into the room. "I have more herbs. I will portion them and take your place with your brothers until you return."

"The Daimyo's awake?" Raph asked.

"His healers thought to help him combat his own condition by keeping him conscious, so they have added a stimulant to his treatment. I thought it was unwise in your case."

Leo gulped, looking at Don and Master Splinter. "Yeah. I don't...think I could stand to have them be awake like this."

"I know. If you will not go to Lord Kawauso, I will carry your regrets. But if you intend to do as asked, you must go quickly."

"Go for it," Mikey said. "Sitting here is making you think too much, bro."

The joke fell flat, but Leo smiled anyway. "Okay." He wanted to tell them to take care of things, to watch Donnie and Master Splinter, to keep them safe. But he couldn't think of a way to say it without implying that he feared the worst might happen while he was gone, so he just nodded and quietly made his way out into the cool night air.

Honda Ryome met Leo at the door to the small building that was entirely surrounded by samurai.

"Thank you, Hamato-san. It will ease his mind to see you." He paused. "Your father and brother?"

"Still alive," Leo said through a tight throat.

"Good. I hope their courage continues to hold."

_Me, too._

He tapped at the door softly before opening it. "Hamato Leonardo is here, my Lord." Then he backed up and waved Leo in.

For all that the Daimyo was Lord here, his own setup was very like what Donatello and Splinter had, though Lord Kawauso was not tied down. But there was no more finery here than in the building where Leo had spent his last hours, and it made him feel a little better. The Daimyo had gotten more of the poison than Don, but less than Splinter. They were all in it together.

_And alone. Like they were when they faced Jurou. They never should have had to do that alone!_

But he focused on what was before him. "You wanted to see me?" he asked, bowing at the waist.

The priest turned to Leo from his place kneeling beside the Daimyo, out of the way of the four healers clustered around the head of the mat. "Lord Kawauso wishes to speak to you, Kame-san."

"You must be quick about it," said one of the healers, a brown rabbit. "His energy is precious and must not be wasted."

Leo nodded and stepped forward. The priest moved back a little as did one of the healers, clearing a space for Leo near the Daimyo's head. Leo swallowed thickly at the tight lines of pain in the proud otter's face. Sweat had dampened his fur and his breathing was terrible to hear, rasping and choking. But his eyes, though overly bright and wide, were clear.

"Hamato...Leonardo."

"I am here, Daimyo."

"I have a request of you."

"What is it, my Lord?"

"Your family...served me with honor. Your father...and Clan elder...gave his life for mine."

 _He's not dead yet! He won't die!_ But he didn't interrupt.

"Should...this foul poison...kill me...I cannot let...Shuo Katsu rule."

Leo nodded even if he didn't particularly understand or care. Shuo Katsu had still lost some honor, but he wasn't a murderer. And what difference did any of it make, anyway?

The Daimyo lifted a paw that shook and spasmed and put it on Leo's shoulder.

"Leonardo...of the Kame Clan...I designate you my chosen Heir."

Leo almost tipped over in surprise. " _What?_ "

"I cannot die...with no Heir. And even if I live...I will be weak. Honda...is not...in favor with the Shogun. I must have an Heir...the Shogun will accept."

"But…" Leo had no idea what his objection would be, but he was certain he had one. Probably more than one. If he could get his numb brain to work right.

"If I die...my people will look to you...until you name an Heir of your own. If I live...you will help me...until I produce another Heir."

"I...I don't...I mean, my family…"

The priest whispered beside him. "Hamato-san, if you are the Daimyo's Heir, all the riches of the han are yours to use to help your father and brother. If you are Heir, you can wield the Daimyo's power to summon healers or purchase medicines. You can even hire more samurai to guard us when we are weak."

"Nezumi...may come...if he knows I am dying. You must...save my people."

"And if you save us, your family will be safe, too," the priest said.

Leo gulped. "Uh...all right. I accept the position as Heir. But I'm not going to keep it. This is just temporary so I can keep things from falling apart. Okay?"

"Thank you...Leonardo." The Daimyo closed his eyes and clenched his jaw as a tremor took him.

"That's enough," the healers said, though now they ducked their head to Leo respectfully. "We will take care of him. Please let him rest for now."

"Okay. If there's anything you need to help him, if there's anything I can do, just tell me. And...thank you for taking care of my family, too."

The rabbit healer bowed. "We are honored to serve you, young Lord."

The priest rose and followed Leo to the door. Somehow, Leo was not surprised Honda Ryome stood there with the door slightly open, no expression on his face at all.

"Honda-san," Leo said quietly as he stepped out. "I feel like I should say I'm sorry."

Honda shook his head. "Do not. The Shogun would give this han to Nezumi before he would permit me to rule it. He only tolerates me in this capacity because I have no land of my own. And I would rather the han fall to you than see it in Nezumi's hands."

"Thanks, I guess. But I don't really know what to do."

Honda nodded. "For now, do nothing. I will guard our borders and watch for danger. I will not act beyond my rights, but I will continue as I have until you give me new orders." His face twisted a little in what was not quite a smirk. "And, with respect, young Lord, I will tell you if I think you are in the wrong."

"Definitely. Please. I've led my Clan, and I've led a small alliance into battle, but I've never done anything like this. I don't want to make a mistake that will cost lives."

"Good. The Daimyo's choice is wise. Most samurai would only be concerned for their honor, not the han itself. You will do well if you remember this."

"I will, I promise."

"Go to your family and try to rest if you can, young Lord. I will send Sato to guard you."

"Thanks, Honda-san."

Leo felt more than saw the samurai peel herself from her post to join him. She did not speak to him, which he appreciated because he did not know what he would say to her. But she bowed to him when she opened the door for him, and bowed again when she shut it behind him.

Leo's eyes immediately found Don and Master Splinter, but they looked the same.

"What was that all about?" Raph asked.

"Uh...guys, you're never gonna believe this…"

-==OOO==-

Somehow, miraculously and against all odds, the Daimyo, Donatello, and Splinter all survived the long night battling the poison that ravaged their bodies. The healers assured Leo that, having endured the first 12 hours and the worst of the fever, all three stood a chance to recover in time, though it might be months until their bodies repaired the damage within. Leo accepted their optimism gratefully and kept his face straight, even though inside he was crying.

Meanwhile Mikey cried but nobody commented, and Raph might have shed tears but he turned his back so no one could see.

By noon, however, Honda Ryome sought out Leonardo.

"Signal fires to the edge of the han have been lit. It means that Nezumi is moving on our border."

"What would you do if you were in my position?" Leo asked him.

"You can't leave. We need you here. It's the only thing holding everyone together. And we can't risk you taking a stray arrow and leaving us without an Heir in battle. Permit me to send some soldiers to the border. Some of our best fighters. They will hold out if they know they have a Daimyo to defend."

"We'll go, too."

Leo looked up. Raph and Mikey had followed him, leaving Usagi with Donatello and Splinter.

"Raph…"

"There's _nothing_ I can do here besides babysit and stand there watching," Raph said roughly. "Give me some heads to bash in, Leo."

Leonardo could have read the tension, fear, and need in his brother if he were unconscious and underwater. Raph had a loving, giving heart, but his patience was not equal to his care. Leo was honestly surprised he had held out so long without finding a sack of rice or something to beat and tear apart.

"If we're there," Mikey said, "you won't have to worry. We'll take care of things."

"I know you will. I trust you both. But…" He glanced back at the building where the rest of his heart still fought against death itself.

"They'll understand," Raph said. "They wouldn't want us to hover over them anyway."

"You know how much Donnie hates being sick. Anybody remember him chewing us out after the Outbreak Virus for not leaving him the shell alone?" Mikey added.

"I guess that's true. Okay. You can both go with Honda-san's troops. But...just promise me…"

Raph and Mikey shared a look and stepped forward, each putting a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll be fine, Leo," Mikey said. "Promise."

"Nezumi's goons ain't gonna lay a finger on us."

" _They better not_ ," Leo said, and the low, dark rage in his voice made even Honda Ryome step back. This was not the voice of a benevolent leader; but of a vengeful, ruthless warrior who would level mountains in his fury. "If they so much as _scratch_ either of you, I'll take them apart. _Personally_."

Honda Ryome did not doubt him, nor did the others who heard him. From that instant, Hamato Leonardo had the respect of every samurai in the castle. For in that instant, he sounded equal to every story they had ever heard of him and his skill.

Miyamoto Usagi opted not to go with the attack party, instead remaining at Leo's side.

"You are still a stranger here, and with the han in danger, it is the perfect time for any other would-be rival to send a force to eliminate the Daimyo and you. You need someone at your back you can trust, my brother, to guard you and your injured family. I will not abandon you."

Leo hadn't been able to admit how grateful he was for that, but he put it all into his bow. "Thank you, my friend."

After that, life settled into a strangely predictable pattern for Leonardo. He oversaw the day-to-day affairs of the han, which mostly seemed to do with resolving disputes of honor, handling any crises that prevented farmers from producing enough rice, and maintaining order. Really, after a lifetime of battling the Foot, trying to survive off what they could find in a junkyard, and keeping his brothers from killing themselves and each other, it was a job he was well suited for. Usagi split his time between staying close to Leo and overseeing treatment of Donatello and Splinter.

Two weeks later, Donatello woke up.

* * *


	8. Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is end of Act 1. Next week we'll continue with Act 2.
> 
> I do want to respond to one reviewer (without a username so I couldn't answer directly) about why I put up 1 chapter at a time instead of the whole work all at once. This is how I've operated for, eh, 5 years? 6 years, maybe? After I got my habit of writing distilled into a process, I wrote A LOT. A LOT, you guys. One year alone I wrote 5 novels and something like 16 oneshots. With that kind of output, I felt like there was value in letting a story emerge one chapter at a time; plus, honestly, I hate the idea of spamming people who followed me only for specific fandoms.
> 
> I'm sorry if anyone finds that troublesome. If you want, leave me a review and I can give you the schedule of when each Act will be finished so you know when to go catch up on the Act while the next one goes up. Is that fair?
> 
> In case you missed it, the theme-song for Act 1 (and for the first 4 Acts of the 8 total) is Theory of a Deadman's "Angel." You don't need to listen to it for things to make sense, but I recommend it anyway!
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me. SO much more ahead!
> 
> Enjoy!

His return to the world came slowly. By the time Donatello realized he was, in fact, awake – and therefore still alive – he had been blinking his eyes and staring vaguely upwards at an unfamiliar beam holding up an even more unfamiliar ceiling for some untold amount of time. Once he was certain he was not asleep any longer, however, his mind sharpened and began to work again. Events came back to him easily and he had no doubt as to why he felt as though he had been neither awake nor asleep for a long time.

Don was just glad not to be dead.

His eyes felt dry. He moved to wipe at them, only to find he could not move his arms. Nor his legs. Donatello sucked in a sharp, panicked breath, only to have it explode out of him in a fit of coughing.

In an instant, a warm, furry hand was on his head, though not one he expected.

"My friend. Breathe slowly. You must not strain yourself."

Donatello's eyes fixed on a white face above him. "U...Usagi?"

The ronin rabbit's own eyes widened. "Are you truly back with us, Donatello-san?"

Don squeezed his eyes shut, feeling an uncomfortable sandiness in them causing them to water. He forced himself to slow his breathing, counting the beats of his heart until the urge to choke had passed.

When composed, he opened his eyes again. "I think so, but...how long have I been out?"

Usagi smiled brilliantly. "Almost exactly two weeks, I am afraid. You have wandered between sense and senselessness for many days, but never have you spoken like yourself until now."

"Two weeks?" Donatello clenched his hands. "Shell."

"Indeed. Give me a moment, my friend, and I will release you." Usagi bustled to one side, quickly untying the restraining straps that held the turtle down.

The moment Donatello had use of an arm, he gratefully rubbed at his eyes, dislodging more grit. "Does this mean I'm going to be okay?"

"Yes," Usagi confirmed from near his feet. "The poison to which you were exposed lingers in the body like a ghost, but it fades with time and rest. Now that you are awake and fully aware of your surroundings, you should not lapse again. Though you may require time to heal in other ways."

"Yeah, that figures," Don agreed. He could tell his body was sore and a little weak, though that could be from illness or whatever near-liquid diet he had been on while unconscious. But other than a slight pounding behind his eyes and the urge to cough when he spoke, he felt no worse than he would expect after staying up for several nights in a row and then being woken from his one nap by something that couldn't wait.

As Usagi moved to get Donatello's other hand and Don watched, the sight of his father stretched out beside him came into view.

"Master Splinter?"

"He remains in a state of profound rest," Usagi said, "but he, too, has survived this long. I believe you must credit your otherworldliness for this. Should even I have absorbed as much as he, I would not have lived more than an hour. But he is stubborn and strong."

"It makes sense the poison wouldn't work on us the same way it does on people from here if our physiology is a little different. Plus, our blood is full of mutagen. That could have any sort of impact on the lethality of a given chemical compound." The rambling was easy and Don gave into it while he waited for Usagi to release his last bound limb.

"The Daimyo has also survived," Usagi informed him, "primarily due to the speed of your reaction and warning. He is very ill and cannot even leave his bed, but he grows stronger with each day."

"I'm glad," Don said. Then he paused. "Where're the guys? I mean, don't get me wrong, it's good to see you, Usagi. But...well…"

Usagi smiled and settled into a kneeling position beside Donatello but to the side so the turtle had an unobstructed view of Splinter as well. "I am not offended that you wonder after your brothers, my friend." He did not glance away, but his eyes lowered slightly. "I feel that I owe you an apology of sorts."

"Why? What happened?" Donatello's heart sped up and he had to fight to keep the coughing from returning.

"They are well." Usagi held up his hands calmingly. "They were not injured as a result of Jurou's actions, though we treated them for the poison just to be certain. However...the situation here has changed since that night."

"How so?" Don decided he was tired of lying down and eased himself upwards, able to take a deeper breath when the weight of his plastron was not spread out on top of his lungs.

"Leonardo-san has been named Heir by Lord Kawauso. He has been ruling the han in the Daimyo's place. Raphael-san and Michelangelo-san have left to go to the lands that border Nezumi's own in order to defend us from incursion."

Don blinked. Then he rubbed his head. "Did...I hear that right? Leo's the Daimyo now and Mikey and Raph went off to a war?"

Usagi nodded. "I believe Leonardo-san was convinced that accepting the appointment as Heir would ensure he could protect you and Master Splinter, for otherwise the entire han would be in danger from any ambitious rival. As for Raphael-san and Michelangelo-san, I believe...it was difficult for them."

Don would have heaved a sigh but for his breathing. He shrugged instead and nodded. "Sickroom duty's never been something either of them is much good at handling. Leo can sit by someone's bedside for days, but it's tougher for them. Mikey wants to be doing anything other than sitting still, and Raph needs to vent his worry or he goes nuts. I get it."

"I apologize that they are not here to greet you."

Don managed a smile. "Don't sweat it, Usagi. I appreciate that you were here keeping me company."

"You and Master Splinter have never been alone, nor unguarded," Usagi said, and Don realized then that the ronin still wore his blades. "When I have not been here, Leonardo-san has had trusted guards and healers here to ensure your safety and wellbeing. And he has slept the little he does sleep here, as well. He would not leave you if his duty did not demand it."

"I get it. There's a lot of people that need protecting and Leo's the best protector anywhere." It did sting a little in Donatello's heart of hearts, but he also understood and forgave Leo. Plus, he figured his older brother would have spent every instant he wasn't watching over them blaming himself for not being there, and that nagging guilt that always seemed to plague Leo was more than enough punishment for any slight as far as Don was concerned.

Usagi smiled with relief. "Your acceptance does you honor, my friend. I had hoped waking to one other than your family would not cause you immediate distress."

"I'm way more distressed by the whole been-out-of-it-for-two-weeks thing," Don said honestly. "Though I'm also kinda weirded out by Leo being the stand-in Daimyo."

"I believe that is very like what Michelangelo-san said as well," Usagi told him.

"How long will Leo be Heir, anyway? And do you know how long until Master Splinter wakes up?"

"I believe the answer to one is the answer to the other," Usagi said. "Lord Kawauso is recovering more slowly than you, but when he is again healthy, he will either find or produce another Heir, at which point he will relieve Leonardo-san of the responsibility. But I believe your brother will not willingly relinquish the role of Heir until your father is also well."

"That's Leo, all right. If he can't fight the poison, he'll focus on our physical safety." Then Don looked more closely at the ronin. "Thank you for taking care of us, Usagi. I'm really grateful. And thank you for the herbs, too. I bet if we hadn't taken those when we did, we wouldn't have made it this far."

Usagi bowed his head. "It has been my honor to watch over you and Master Splinter, Donatello-san. And I, too, am grateful that I was able to provide some help at such a crucial moment. I appreciate that in the time of greatest danger you trusted me without hesitation."

Don smiled. "Of course I did. Besides, after your herbs saved Leo in the Battle Nexus, I had all the proof I needed that you knew what you were doing. I gotta figure out what's in those, see if I can make something like them for us for when we go home."

"You will have ample opportunity to study them as you will need to continue taking them for at least another few weeks if not months. Though the poison has loosened its grip on you, I would not wish to see it return."

Don nodded. "Makes sense." He stretched his arms out, feeling the slight shakiness that reminded him of his recovery after the Outbreak Virus. "What other restrictions have I got, doc?"

Usagi smiled faintly. "I believe your body will enforce its requirements without any help from myself, but you will obviously need to continue to rest for a time. You may also find that, even after you feel entirely well, your energy will flag unexpectedly."

"Okay, well, I'll try not to overdo anything, then." He glanced to Splinter. "You sure he's going to be okay?"

"Check him if you wish, my friend. He still battles with great energy, and though it may be a good deal longer before he is fully returned to himself, I trust in his courage."

Donatello would have trusted his Sensei even in the middle of the end of the world – and had, more than once – but he took his chance to push on his hands and knees across the small gap between them so he could settle at the edge of his father's mat. He felt his body shake a bit at the exertion, but he did not actually collapse, so Don counted it a success.

Donatello didn't have his full kit and didn't feel like asking Usagi for it, but he checked Splinter's vitals as best he could on his own; he took his pulse, dipped his head to listen to his breathing and heartbeat by pressing his ear to his father's chest, checked his reflexes.

"Seems pretty stable," Don finally concluded. "Does he really need to be tied down?"

"Until he wakes, there is every possibility he will be again taken by the dangerous tremors that have plagued you both," Usagi said. "You yourself had one such attack just yesterday. This way, he will not do harm to himself, nor exhaust himself."

"Hmm."

"Donatello-san? There is one more thing of which you should be aware."

Don turned to him. "What's that?"

"Those who have endured this poison are sometimes...more easily overwhelmed by their emotions. You must know that you cannot risk great emotional trauma any more than you can risk physical trauma, for either will make your spirit weak to the last effects of the poison."

"Kind of like how you can't panic someone who's just had a heart attack. That's why you're trying hard to take it easy on me and prepare me for things, aren't you?" Don looked at him. "You're trying to help me adjust without freaking me out."

"Something like that." Usagi's eyebrow raised. "I have no guarantee that your brother will greet you as calmly as I have done, so I wish you to be prepared to care for yourself."

"Thanks."

"Do you feel ready to visit with Leonardo-san?"

Donatello considered for a moment. He could feel a shakiness in his muscles he didn't remotely appreciate, but his head was clear and his feelings were even.

And with Raph and Mikey gone who-knew-where, Leo would have been dealing with ten-thousand problems without much in the way of help.

"Yeah, I want to see him. Can you get him to come?"

"At once, my friend." Usagi rose and went to the door of the room which Donatello finally recognized as one of the small outbuildings within the castle's perimeter. From the slight scent in the air buried under the smell of green tea and familiar herbs, he guessed it had been used for making and storing ink. Usagi spoke briefly to someone outside. Donatello looked at the deep golden color of the light filtering in the partially-open door and guessed it was just around the dinner hour.

Speaking of which…

"Got any food in the meantime?" Don asked when Usagi closed the door and turned back.

"Let us begin by seeing if your body is ready for less-watered-down tea. It has been some days since you consumed more than tea, herbs, and small portions of rice-mash."

"Hmm. Good point. Leo won't appreciate it if he gets here and the first thing I do is throw up on him."

"No, he will not." Usagi's face quirked slightly as he went to the pot of water that hung over the low fire. In minutes he poured two cups of tea and handed one to Donatello. Don sat on his mat, noticing the impression his shell had left in it; the impression was not clear at all, but was blurry and distorted.

_I wonder how many times I had what Usagi called dangerous tremors which I'm guessing is a seizure. Probably a lot by the look of these marks._

The tea was hot and plain, and it burst upon Donatello's tongue with extremely welcome, familiar flavor. He knew better than to drink it too fast, though, so he forced himself to savor every sip.

Donatello was just draining the last bit when the door practically slammed open.

Usagi flashed to his feet, hands dropping to his weapons, but he did not actually draw against the blur of green and robes that half-ran, half-fell into the room.

"Donnie!"

Donatello didn't have enough time to think about putting his cup down before he had an armful of Leonardo hugging him so tightly he couldn't have drawn a full breath even if coughing wasn't a risk.

"Shell, Donnie. I was starting to think…"

Donatello returned the hug as tightly as he could, grateful when Usagi rescued his cup from his hand so he could grip his brother more firmly.

"I'm okay, Leo," he said. "I'm okay."

Leo held on for one more trembling moment before he pulled back, his expression folding from almost hysterical relief to something stern and angry.

"What the _shell_ were you thinking, Donnie? How could you just go up there and confront that guy without help? Without backup? You could have been _killed_!"

Donatello did not smile or chuckle, but it was a near thing. "You know why."

The quiet response took some of the wind out of Leo's sails. He glanced sideways to Master Splinter and took a deep breath. "I...I know you were trying to protect Sensei…"

"And the Daimyo and anybody else in range. I didn't know what we were dealing with, Leo. It might have been something that could kill everyone in the castle, or even the village, if it got loose. Turns out I was right, wasn't I?" Don raised an eye-ridge. "Tell me you wouldn't go alone if there was a bomb planted somewhere back home and you couldn't risk anyone being hurt if it went off."

"I wouldn't go alone if I had you to help me!"

Don shook his head. "Yes you would. You'd do it to protect us. Just like we'd protect you."

"I believe he is correct, my friend," Usagi put in. He had risen and was preparing more tea.

Leo gave a gusty, frustrated sigh. "I don't think you two should be allowed to team up against me."

"Sorry, young Lord," Usagi said with an entirely straight face and eyes that twinkled.

"Don't you start," Leo warned. He shrugged at Don's questioning glance. "That's what they all call me now. I'm not exactly a fan."

"I bet," Don smiled. He hadn't missed that his brother now wore a different kimono, one with the mon of Lord Kawauso upon it. "Seriously, Leo. I am sorry. I never meant...well. Things got a little out of hand and…" His smile faded and he looked to Splinter. "It shouldn't have happened."

"No, Don. Don't blame yourself. I know you did your best. And you saved a lot of lives. Lord Kawauso made it clear that Sensei chose to grab the poison out of the air after Jurou tried to release it. None of that is your fault. The only thing that matters to me is that you never gave up."

The warm, firm grip and the unshaken certainty in Leo's voice unwove a knot of guilt in Donatello's stomach.

"You know me, Leo. Takes more than that to stop me." He looked at Splinter again. "And a lot more than that to stop Master Splinter. I got through it and so will he."

Leo's smile seemed heavier under a certain weight and strain he had developed since the last time Don saw him. "I know. We all had faith in both of you. Speaking of which, I'm sending a messenger to the front to let Raph and Mikey know you're awake. They'll head back this way with the next report and be here in a few days."

"I'm surprised you let them out of your sight," Don said.

"If I didn't, I'm not sure how much castle we'd have left after Raph punched holes in all the walls," Leo answered. "Believe me, it wasn't easy. But...I couldn't ask them to sit here…"

"It's fine," Don said. "I understand. Though it seems weird to me for Mikey to have gone. I mean, sure he was probably bored, but a warfront just doesn't seem like his first choice."

"I think he volunteered in order to make sure Raph didn't do anything stupid."

"Since when has _Mikey_ been any good at keeping Raph from doing _anything_?" Don asked.

Leo shrugged. "Well, he would have more luck than any of the samurai."

"Fair enough."

Usagi appeared with a cup of tea for each of them which they accepted with thanks. They lapsed into silence for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts and the warm, restorative tea.

After a few sips – Donatello noticed Leo holding the cup properly as they had learned in Splinter's study as children – Leo looked at his brother. "I did mean to ask you something."

"What?"

"How did you figure it out? I mean, the last I knew, we all agreed that it was over and you and I were arguing about Shuo Katsu, and then I got a message about poison and...well. What happened in between?"

Don tipped his head to one side, thinking.

"Well, there were just some things that never made sense to me about the whole thing. Like the prayer scrolls."

"The prayer scrolls?" Usagi repeated.

"Yeah. The priest and Jurou put them up because everybody was sure it was a ghost. But we figured out pretty quickly that if the prayer scrolls weren't total fakes, they should have worked. And if you remember what Usagi told us way back at the start, all the ghostly things that were happening took place outside the heavily-warded rooms in the hallway or other parts of the castle."

"That's true," Usagi said. "Except for the former Daimyo's death."

"Right. So something felt off from the beginning, like the ghost story didn't quite add up with the fact that the Daimyo died. But I forgot about it with everything else that went on until that night after I talked to Splinter about Shuo Katsu. He left to go talk to the Daimyo about commuting his sentence and I stayed to meditate. And that's when I remembered the other weird thing."

"What was that?" Leo asked.

"The body. We'd been told that the body had been frozen in an expression of terror, which had to mean poison because of how bodies go limp after death otherwise. Well, I mean, there are other possibilities, but when you added together the suddenness of the death and everything else, it was the one that made sense."

"So you figured that, what, someone had poisoned the Daimyo and blamed it on the ghost?"

"Basically, yes. That someone with something to gain had seen an opportunity when Nezumi's ghost act started and took advantage. And nobody would ever have figured it out because it was easier to believe the ghost had found a way to kill the Daimyo than to believe there were two culprits with entirely different methods involved."

"And when we were listening to Nezumi that day, he didn't say anything about poison," Leo realized. "All he talked about was scaring the Daimyo to death."

"Exactly. If he had been behind the poisoning, they almost certainly would have at least mentioned it."

"I know how you figured out about Jurou – the kannushi told me. But to figure out the rest of it...Lord Kawauso would be dead now if not for you. Nobody else could have made that connection about the body's expression and the prayer scrolls actually working."

Don shrugged. "I only stumbled on it because I was thinking Shuo Katsu didn't deserve to die, which got me thinking about the charges against him. And I didn't know he was going to die until I found Akako crying at the shrine that night before we talked. If I hadn't been thinking about trying to save him, I probably wouldn't have come up with it at all."

Leo patted his brother's shoulder. "Then I'm more glad than ever for your stubborn feelings about the sanctity of life. You saved a lot of lives by worrying about just one this time, bro."

"What did happen to Shuo Katsu, anyway?" Don asked, and he hated that he was afraid to know.

But Leo gave him a soft smile. "Lord Kawauso gave me permission to pardon him, since he wasn't actually the one responsible for killing the former Daimyo. He's been a guest in the castle ever since, though I think he's just waiting for you to wake up."

"Before doing what?"

"Leaving." Leo's smile faded. "Even though he has been cleared of the murder, he still acted dishonorably. He isn't really welcome here now. He will probably have to go find another village in which to live. But Akako has pledged to go with him, and with her skills to support them, they'll be all right."

It wasn't a perfect solution, but it did make Don feel better. "Thanks, Leo."

"Honestly, I'm glad we didn't have to kill him, either. This works out for everybody."

Don wasn't quite sure how to answer that, but he was grateful the young otter would live and that Akako could be happy with the person she loved after all. He still felt uneasy with Leo's calm acceptance of the punishment in the first place. But that reminded him of something else.

"Is Akako okay? Her dad…"

"He died without honor." Usagi's voice was rough with anger. "He died a criminal's death." Then his expression cleared. "However, Akako has not been blamed. Her character is too well known. She would rather have died herself than have her father kill to increase her social standing. She has not been punished and she will not be."

"I'm glad," Don said. "I bet she's having a hard time."

"Better with her betrothed freed, thanks to you," Usagi said.

Donatello nodded, then yawned unexpectedly.

"You should rest, Donnie," Leo said immediately. "You're going to be okay, but you don't want to push it."

Don would have argued, but Leo helped him lie down and it felt good to rest so he just nodded. "Sure."

"I will stay with him," Usagi said. "Go to your duties without fear, Leonardo-san. Soon, your brother will be at your side."

"That's good to hear. I'd rather have your head picking through these problems with me, Donnie," Leo admitted. "It'll only be a few days before Raph and Mikey get here, too. And then we'll be together again."

"As little as I doubt the safety of the han in your hands, my friend, I doubt it even less with all four of you to safeguard it united as one," Usagi said.

Leo looked to where Donatello's eyes had fallen shut and he was already asleep. "You're right, Usagi. Even though I'm doing my best, the people will be much better off with all of us than just me."

-==OOO==-

Donatello spent the next few days working on re-teaching his stomach to accept solid food and sleeping less and less. His old kimono had been destroyed because of the contamination, but Akako lent him a new one from a similar material, which he was glad to use; the warm afternoon air felt chilly to him, a weird and annoying side-effect of his long illness. Don took to sitting in the sun whenever he had the energy in order to combat the cold. By the time Michelangelo and Raphael rode up to the gate on exhausted horses, he was even getting up and wandering around for short periods of time as long as it was bright and warm outside.

Which meant he heard the shouts from the guards about his brothers' arrival one afternoon and was able to meet them just inside the castle walls.

"Donnie!" Mikey whooped with joy and practically jumped on Donatello, bringing them both crashing to the ground.

"You trying to kill him, you doofus?" Raph yelled, roughly yanking the over-exuberant turtle from Don's chest and hauling Don back to his feet. Somehow, Raph managed to get Donatello into a hug while still smacking Mikey on the head.

"Sorry, bro! I really didn't mean to!"

Don coughed and laughed against Raph's shoulder. "I take it nothing much has changed while I've been out of it?"

Raph pulled away and smiled, relieved at Don's own humor. "Nope. Mikey's still a shell-for-brains."

"And you're still a hothead!" Mikey shot back.

"But Leo's a king-wannabe, so that's kinda new," Raph said.

"Nah, he was always a king-wannabe." Mikey bounced on the balls of his feet, getting an arm around Donatello's shoulders. "Now it's just official!"

"Another good reason to be out on the border where he can't push me around in person," Raph grumbled, though it had little heat in it. "I get enough orders on scrolls in his goofy handwriting."

"It's called calligraphy," came Leo's voice. The three turned to see him standing there with a few samurai in tow. The samurai were clearly scandalized at the teasing, but Leo just smiled. "You could try to learn it, Raph. Then we'd be able to read more than every third word of your messages."

"Yeah, well, the rest of 'em ain't for polite company," Raph shot back.

"Hey! Did you show Donnie mine?" Mikey asked.

Leo's smile broadened. "You mean did I show Donatello the cartoons you drew me to express troop movement and to document battles? No, I didn't."

"Dude! You totally should! They were _epic_!"

Don laughed and leaned into Mikey. "I bet they were. Did you draw Raph the way you always do?"

"Yeah, but I added horns this time."

"Then I definitely need to see them."

"Come on," Leo said. "There's food waiting for you guys. Let's go somewhere and catch up."

In minutes, the four were seated around a table with half a feast on it in a room in the keep that was almost as fancy as the Daimyo's own bedchamber. Mikey and Raph dug into the food as if they were starving, but Don ate slowly, picking only those things he was sure he could consume without overtaxing his still-weakened stomach. Leo watched them all fondly.

"So, how's Master Splinter?" Mikey asked around an entire mouthful of rice.

"Usagi's with him. He's about the same, which is a good sign," Leo said. "He's still healing, but no signs of consciousness."

"He got several orders of magnitude more poison than I did," Don put in. "If my healing is anything to go by, he'll be in and out of consciousness for a long time before he finally wakes up."

"But he will?" Raph asked, and only his brothers could hear the vulnerability behind the habitual gruffness.

"Yes," Leo said firmly. "And no matter how long it takes, this han will take care of him."

"Good," Mikey said.

"But that raises the major question," Leo continued. "Which is – how long do we stay here?"

Raph looked to Donatello. "There any reason we should bring Sensei back to the lair for you to do your medical wizard stuff to help him?"

Don considered for a moment. "Normally I'd say yes, but I'm worried about the strain on his body passing between dimensions. Plus, the poison is really specific to this world, so I might not be able to synthesize an adequate treatment from ours. We could try it, but it might be a risk."

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," Mikey said. "You got better here and Master Splinter's getting better, too. Who cares if it's slow as long as it works?"

"That's what I think, too," Leo said. "Besides, even if you did take him home, I am honor-bound to stay here to take care of the han until Lord Kawauso chooses another Heir."

"And how long will that be?" Raph asked.

"Well, Lord Kawauso's not even up to walking around yet, and to get an Heir he either has to choose someone or, you know, sire one. And Honda can't be the Heir because of some old history with the Shogun. So a while, probably."

Don frowned. "Are we talking weeks, months, or years here, Leo?"

Leonardo shrugged, looking down. "I don't know."

"We might be stuck here for months?" Raph asked.

Donatello looked at him in surprise. He would have expected rage from his brother, not quiet resignation.

"Or years?"

And Donatello _definitely_ didn't expect that note of hopefulness from Mikey.

"It's possible," Leo said.

 _Well, they might have had this fight ten times already_ , Don reasoned. _It's only news to me. They've had weeks to get used to the idea. In which case, I'm glad I missed it. I don't really want to find out if Raph and Leo fighting sets off a coughing fit if I can help it. 'Cause it probably will._

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Don asked, pushing away his surprise.

"We protect Master Splinter and the han," Leo said, lifting his gaze and squaring his shoulders. His robes – no mere kimono today, but proper robes like those the Daimyo wore – settled in an elegant, intimidating pool around him.

"If we're gonna be here a while, do you think I could go visit Mitsu's village? See, uh, if they're doing okay?" Mikey asked.

"Sure," Leo said. "If you don't want to go back to the border, I'm sure we can find things for you to do around here. What about you, Raph?"

"Not sure yet," Raph said, spearing a piece of meat and eating it in one big bite. "Ask me after I've had a bath and a good sleep away from Mikey's snoring."

"Dude! You snore _way_ more than I do!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

Leo sighed and looked to Don with a long-suffering half-smile. Don returned it.

 _Looks like not everything has changed around here_ , he thought.

Leonardo leaned close to him. "I know staying here seems sudden to you, but I'm sure you'll get used to the idea soon. It's a little bit like a vacation, though you're the only one who gets to rest for the moment."

"As soon as I'm better, I'll help out too," Don promised.

"First on the list, can you make a saddle that actually fits our shells?" Mikey asked. "No offense to whoever-san makes them, but they are _not_ designed for our curves if you know what I mean."

Donatello huffed a laugh. "I'll see what I can do."

Raph looked up. "It's good to have you back, Donnie-boy."

Leo smiled widely. "It's good to have all three of you back. Feels like old times. Maybe I'll ask the guards to keep you around for a while, just in case you think about wandering away sooner."

But as he said it, he delicately folded the sleeve of one robe out of his way so he could pluck a morsel of food from the table, eating it with dainty, refined movements that seemed strange to Donatello somehow.

"Yeah, if by old times you mean you're still a bossy windbag," Raph muttered.

Leo gave him a mild glare that was pure Leo Scowl of Doom and Don relaxed.

The most important things hadn't changed. In this world, like on an alien planet or back in the past or far in the future, they were still brothers. Leo was still their honorable, slightly stuck-up leader. Raph was still prickly and defiant as he challenged Leo and everything else in the vicinity. Mikey was still the goofball full of energy and laughter.

What did it matter if they had to stay a year before Leo could step down as Heir? They were together. That was all that mattered.

Or so Donatello sincerely hoped.

* * *

-==OOO==-

End of Act 1

-==OOO==-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to 1readerVB for commissioning the amazing art from Sassatello from Tumblr that made every chapter of this story better!


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